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- BROTHERS 

OR 

The Brotherhood of Man 



A Sun Play 

on a next) phase of 
the World's History 

by J. D. Lawrence 



Cop})Tlght 1917 by J. ©. Lawrence 



BROTHERS 

OR 

The Brotherhood of Man 



A Sun Play 

on a neH) phase of 
the World's History 



hy J. *D. Lawrence 



i 
Copyright 1917 by J. B. Lawrence 






/fo ": .-^b 



WHAT THE CRITICS SAID 



The original manuscript, a brief synopsis of tliis story, was first sub- 
mitted to a well-known autlior, moving picture play director and producer 
with a letter stating that it was not offered for sale but for criticism and 
suggestion. He said and wrote: 

"The idea is very big, . . . could be developed into an excellent 
story. ... I do not see in it the kind of plot suitable to our purposes 
as the story is not personal enough to be truly dramatic." 

The first printed synopsis was sent to a number of Deople. The only 
criticisms ever received or heard of from any one qualified to pass an opinion 
are those stated here. , , ^ •, * 

One of America's eminent editors and reviewers voluntarily wrote a 
lengthy and flattering review. He said in part "It would make a very interest- 
ing and dramatic moving picture play, combined with a few speaking parts, such 
as a Master of Ceremonies, or Herald, who would announce to the audience the 
historical setting of the drama ... All through the piece runs a connected 
love story which should enlist the sympathies of the audience. The same lovers 
aooear throughout the mystical drama" , . , . ^i. 

This is the only criticism he offered: "Although the authors disdain the 
reincarnation theory as the basis of their play, using it merely as a symbol, 
vet the continuity of the diama seems to demand it." 

(Thankful for this criticism; in the revision, made since, the reincarna- 
tion theory is changed so you may take your choice whether you consider 
it the basis or a symbol in the play.) 

I again revised the play and earnestly seeking constructive criticism l 
finally selected for my purpose one of the best known and most able dra- 
matic critics in the United States. He wrote: 

"You have indeed presented a wondrous and luminous story — a worK 
of fiery strength. It is too far in advance of present picture values and 
visualization to hope to see it screened. At least such is luy regretful opin- 



ion 



I have again revised and I hope improved the story and shall send it 
out to those who are in position to produce it as a story, play or a moving 
picture play. I know it is crudely constructed and contains many errors 
and faults It is the first story effort of a business man written m odd 
hours and evenings of strenuous business days. My critics seem to think 
it has a big idea for a play. , , .. ^. , 

Is this story as a possible play years ahead of its time.' 
It seems to me that those qualified by experience and education could 
build it into a play that would not only be a big money maker but better 
still would help ring out some of the messages of our coming new glorious 
human freedom, world liberty and international brotherhood. 

X 1 1 G .c\. Utl 1 1 • 



stf 






—2- 



-2- AN ANALYSIS. 

-3 WHAT IS THERE IN THIS PROPOSED STORY AND PLAY? 

_.-^ In the first act we have the Egyptian mummies with the papyrus tliat 

-' tells the story of the first two acts. Then the idea of men learning from 
■ ; animals, the cave dwellers, idol worshipers, combination of men for protec- 
tion, picture writing on stones and the jietrified body — these are imaginary 
j£ pictures of the author, but suppose we now compare them with the his- 
torical facts that science has discovered. 

We have papyrus found in the hands of a mummy that is certainly 
four thousand five hundred years old. Look at the number of things men 
have learned from insects and animals. That early men dwelt in caves, 
worshipped idols they created and combined for protection is proven be- 
yond question. Picture writing upon stones is perhaps best illustrated in 
the famous "Rosetta" stone. Many petrified bodies have been found in rock, 
and earth that were evidently thousands of years old. 

In the second act we find the worship of the Sun and the sacrifice on 
an altar in front of the Sphinx. The building of the great pyramid by an 
order or brotherhood of architects and builders. A wonderful dance to the 
Sun. A revolution of the Idol worshii:ers. A sun-glass heat-ray welder 
used as a war engine. A love story of Cheop's daughter. 

What have the excavations and studies of Scientists established? 

The fact that the Sun worship was inaugurated by Pharoah Cheops. 
There is an altar between the paws of the Sphinx. That the great pyramid 
was built by an organization of exceptionally intelligent men. The pictures 
in the pyramid record the religious dances. That there was some sort of 
revolution among the people. Sun glasses were invented and used about 
that time. The mystery of the welding of the stones in the pyramids. Wild 
rumors of some love affair of Cheops' daughter. 

In the third and fourth acts we find the association of people of one of 
the highest nations in the world with people of the lowest white nation. 
Characteristic pictures of the latter's lives, habits and peculiarities with an 
account of their history showing them to have been decendents of the an- 
cient egyptians. 

History tells us what? 

That the gypsies are White Indians from Ancient Egypt and they are 
in truth and fact a nation with wonderful talents in music and metal work- 
ing and some knowledge of the occult science. 

The orations of the Herald or Voice are of course historically correct 
explanations of the acts and the links co?inecting the ages or cycles. 

The fifth act is a day of today or rather events that might have actually 
transpired on April 2nd, 1917. Perhaps they did. Are you certain that 
they did not? 

Act 6. The idea of an invention to win the war and end all wars by 
means of heat-rays from the sun. Many people would have laughed at this 
and called it ridiculous a short time ago. Some of those who saw the idea 
in a synopsis of this play months ago probably thought it silly. 

READ WHAT MR. MARCONI, THE INVENTOR OF WIRELESS TELE- 
GRAPHY, SAYS ABOUT IT. 

The synopsis of the seventh act is purely a day dream picture of what 
is practically certain to, in a general way, become reality in the near fu- 
ture. The author apologizes for the many faults and imperfections that are 
in this work, but that apology does not apply to his conception of Congress 
of Nations, Peace Temple and Statue of World Liberty and Brotherhood ex- 
cept for the poverty of his ideas and description of the Statue's construc- 
tion. 

The principal theme or basis of the story play is of course the brother- 
hood of man. To this has been welded liberty for humanity. There are 
also other themes and lessons taught: 



First. Reincarnation or a symbolical man and woman as representa- 
tives of the human family — you take your choice. If you like the theory of 
Reincarnation you will find it perhaps rather interestingly pictured. If 
you do not like that idea then you can see in the same characters in the 
different ages the symbolic man and woman. 

Second. Evolution, both mental and physical as shown in the con- 
trasting periods of the past and present and also particularly well exempli- 
fied in the contrast between the remnant nation, descendents of a past age 
of greatness — the Gypsies and our American people. 

Third. The growth and development of an intuitive knowledge that 
we are all the children of a Spiritual Father. To each of us is left the detail 
of under what name and by what form we shall know and serve Him. An- 
cient Egypt developed religion and gave it to the world. When that highly 
developed civilizaton was but a memory, its achievements milestones in 
world history, and the nation a decadent people their true religion was 
replaced by magic rites. Some of these have been handed down through 
the centuries and are still practiced by their decendents — the gypsies. 

Though crudely written and without proper dramatic construction on 
account of the writer's ignorance of story and play building those who have 
read and commented upon the second and subsequent revisions are evidently 
of the opinion that the features and events have been woven into connected 
historical romantic drama. 

The continuity is secured by the evolution and reincarnation or sym- 
bolic man and woman themes, by the gypsies as decendents of the ancient 
Egyptians, by the connecting links of the development of brotherhood, faith 
and human liberty and they are also all woven together in the love story 
that can be viewed by all as typifying the love story of all the generations 
of people that have lived, are now living or will live on the earth. To those 
who care to do so , it may also be pictured as the romance of the souls or 
spirits of a man and woman linked together by love throughout the ages. 



BROTHERS 

or 
THE BROTHERHOOD OF MAN. 

A Sun Play On a New Phase of the World's History. 

With a Herald or Voice proclaiming the connecting cycles linking the 
past, present and future as told in the stories. 

Acts 1 and 2 — -Brothers of the past. 
Acts 3 and 4 — White Indians. 
Acts 5, 6 and 7 — Brotherhood. 

Cast of Charactei-s. 

John, of the Stone age, Egyptian and present periods and the 
principal male figure in the World Liberty and Brother- 
hood Statue, to be presented to France by the United 
States 

Mary, of the Stone age, Egyptian and present periods and the 
principal female figure in the World Liberty and Broth- 
erhood statue .-- 

Joe, of the Stone age, Handerne of the Egyptian, and Joe 

Harris, of the present periods 

Vashoneta, of the Egyptian, and Nell Harris nee Armstrong 

(Gypsy Nell) 

Drummer, of Stone age and Egyptian period, gypsy violinist 
of the White Indians and at the front "somewhere in 
France" — 

Lady Eloane in Egypt. The scribe's wife in the seashore scene — 

Hugh Armstrong 

Mrs. Annie Armstrong 

Zanoke, Starlin, Sr 

fttarlin, Jr 

Detective Hardan — 

The Scribe 

Stone age men, Egyptians, Priests, Indians, Gypsies, Americans, soldiers of 
all nations at the front and the typical representative of every country 
in the group of the World Liberty and Brotlierhood statue. 

—5— 



Forewoi-d. 

The idea of showing the inception and foundation of brotherhood and 
human liberty developing into world freedom and international brother- 
hood is but putting into play and story the trend of world events and ex- 
pressing in these forms the development of human thought on this phase 
of the history of man. 

The stone age men getting their first ideas of co-operation in labor 
and achievement from the beavers, and their worship of the stone image 
as their first religious expression of their intuitive knowledge of deity and 
the picture carvings of these things on a stone, the first foundation of a 
brotherhood at the building of the great pyramid, priests selected from 
this brotherhood of architects and builders and the establishment of 
religion based upon a truer conception of the higher universal forces, util- 
izing the sun's heat by means of a sun glass to build the pyramid as a theory 
of the mystery of how its stones were welded together, using the knowledge 
of the principle of the construction of that sun glass and heat rays as the 
basis of the construction of a war engine in 1917, the association of liberty 
as a spiritual force with our progress and the world war and world democ- 
racy, all these connected through the medium of reincarnation or a sym- 
bolical man and woman, as you please, these are ideas crudely expressed 
- — some hoary with age, some new so far as I am concerned, as I never read 
or heard of them, but they, too, have doubtless radiated to thousands of 
other units of universal intelligence. 

Picture in your mind now that you are seated in a theater waiting to 
see the new play "Brothers!". Music composed for this play has pre- 
pared the way for its reception in the spirit desired. A herald makes the 
oration or the lights are all put out and out of the darkness comes a voice 
— a man speaking or a reproduction on a phonograph — -proclaiming the 
following words or an improved revised version of them. 

The Author, 



-6- 



ACT I. 

Oration of Herald or Voice: — 

"The play 'Brothers!' is composed of days and periods of the world's 
history during which the brotherhood of man had its inception and early 
development, and when the spirit of liberty, grown to majestic proportions, 
finally merged with the brotherhood princijjle realizing the attainment of 
world freedom and international brotherhood. 

"In battles between the forces of light and darkness, the evolution of 
the human family, the building of the dam and the great pyramid, the 
growth of liberty and democracy will be pictured the development of man- 
kind through the upbuilding of the brotherhood of man. 

"Music and pleasure developed from the drummer and clown-like in- 
dividual of the stone age is intended to illustrate the spirits of music and 
pleasure, gifts to earth's people for tonics, rejuvenators and weapons against 
the forces of darkness. 

"The forces of darkness are shown in many forms like envy, supersti- 
tion, idolatry, slavery, piracy, murder and despotism. Among the mile- 
stones on the way are the Sphinx, representing the dawn of light, the 
building of the great pyramid representing men striving for and recording 
achievement, liberty — its inception and growth as represented in American 
history and the proclamation of our great President Woodrow Wilson put- 
ting the United States into the world war as champion of World freedom 
and the international brotherhood of man. 

"And now we will unroll the scroll of earth's time and go back far into 
the centuries of the past. 

"BEHOLD! ACT I. 

"The first dawn of the light." 

BROTHERS, of the Past. 

1. 

My friend, Harold L. Winton, the noted Egyptologist, and I had been 
discussing his theory that there is nothing entirely new under the sun. 

I asked the question, "Don't you think that the idea of an interna- 
tional brotherhood is new?" 

"On the contrary" he replied "it is a development of probably seven 
thousand years. I have a remarkable document that I found with the two 
Egyptian mummies I have at home. I have told you how I found these 
mummies in my excavations at the pyramids. In the hands of the male 
I found a papyrus in a sealed stone tube. 

"The translation of that wonderful ancient writing which was executed 
in the IV dynasty, about 39 00 B. C, revealed some startling things. It 
shows that a brotherhood was then developed and planned to extend its 
principles and knowledge to other countries. That reincarnation was then 
believed in as it is by many learned people today and that great loves of 
men and women were a part of the early history even as they will 
occasionally be found in our modern history." 

"It is also curious to say the least that the names of this man and 
woman translated are John and Mary, only the first names are given, be- 
cause these names will be found in use throughout the intervening cen- 
turies." 

Several days later when I had finished examining the original papyrus 
and Winton's translation of it I was delighted to receive a copy of the latter 
and my friend's permission to publish it. 

The heading of the papyrus, part of the first paragraph and the equivo- 
lent of about eight paragraphs are not decipherable with the most powerful 
microscope. 

There is one other entire section in the account of tlie second day or 
the story of one day of the writer's life in that wonderful Egyptian period 

—7- 



when the Sphinx and great Pyramid were built, which cannot be read. 
This is very much to be regretted because from it we could learn the con- 
struction of the powerful sun-glasses they used. 

There is also considerable writing after John's story ends which was 
evidently done by another and it is reasonable to surmise that he was the 
one who embalmed, or caused John and Mary to be embalmed and sealed 
up the papyrus in the stone tube but unfortunately not a single word of this 
can be read. 

Mr. Winton's translation of what he could read is as follows: 

I am dying . . . record ... 

(Note — Here there is about eight paragraphs that cannot be read, then 
follows) : 

While I can still recall them clearly I want to set down those two days 
in our lives. The first came to me like a dream. I believe it is a day out 
of my life ages ago brought back to my present consciousness by the stone 
we found and my work on it lately an account of which I will set down 
later on. 

Those scenes from the past begin at day-break. I saw before me a 
section of country. In the foreground was a small river and on the farther 
bank were many rocks which increased in size toward the right, the direc- 
tion from which the river flowed, until they joined a mountain in the dis- 
tance. In front beyond the river the ground rose in hills, the tops of which 
were covered with large trees. To the left stretched out like a triangle was 
a vast plain. 

As I looked out over the plain the sun began to rise and I gazed en- 
thralled at the most gorgeous sunrise I ever saw. Then as I looked about 
again I saw that all the country seemed strange, new and wild, and 
several miles away I saw a large body of savages or wild men. I concen- 
trated my gaze upon them to study their appearance when suddenly I real- 
ized that I was among them, they were all about me and — I was one of 
them. 

"A big lot of beaver make a big place to live," Joe was saying. He 
stood beside me and his talk was to me. 

"Yes," I replied, and then I thought a little party of beaver would 
choose a smaller creek and make a little place to live, but a big lot of 
beaver can make a big dam like this. 

The others of the tribe were looking at the dam and the beaver with 
a curious awe because the beaver was an animal that was not killed and 
eaten by us, it being regarded with a sort of superstitious reverence. 

"See the fish in the creek; they all stop here; can't get over the dam," 
yelled one of the tribe. Joe and I with others ran down to look and there 
was a large number of small fish below the dam. We looked at them for 
awhile and this line of thought came to my mind: if a big lot of beaver 
can make a big dam and little fish are stopped from going up the creek, 
we, a big lot of men, could build a big dam across a big river over there and 
the big fish would be easy to get with our spears. 

I told my plan to Joe and he said it was good. He called all the tribe 
and I told them my ideas. They all were pleased and we began our journey 
to the river with shouts and cries of joy. 

We were a tribe of men with dark brown hair and blue eyes, tall and 
of slender build and not so hairy as many of the other tribes. We had a 
sort of Chief, an old man, very gray, who did not appear to try to exercise 
much authority but left us to do about as we pleased. We, however, looked 
to him for guidance and knowledge of our modes of life. 

The Chief had a daughter named — the translated name could be called 
Mary^who was very beautiful and was held in a sort of idolized regard 
by all the tribe. 

As the tribe started on its rush to the river the old Chief called me 
and he, Mary and I walked together. 

—8- 



Mary had greeted me with a smile and a deep look into my eyes that 
chrilled me and as we walked along I seemed to grasp the fact that I loved 
ner with a love above that of the love of men and women of my people. It 
seemed to me that she was a part of something within me. 

Made bold by my thoughts and Mary's glances at me but with fear of 
the result I took hold of her hand and gently squeezed it and her fingers 
closed over mine and gave me an ausweiing squeeze. We walked thus 
hand in hand behind the Chief when suddenly he turned and saw us. 

"How dare you!" he demanded of me. Then with a torrent of words 
I told him of my love for Mary and how that love seemed to be a part of me 
and how I would struggle to win a permanent home for her, for we were 
a migrating tribe in search of a land to settle in. 

When I had finished the old Chief stood for a little while then turned 
and walked toward the tribe wlio had arrived at the river. Mary and I 
followed him in silence. 

Before we reached the others the old Chief stopped and called Mary to 
him, to whom he spoke in low tones for quite a little while. Mary told 
him sometliing in reply and then he called me and said: 

"John, I will not be with you much longer for I am getting old. Your 
plan to build a dam over the river is wise and you have shown bravery in 
cur battles. Your idea of a new greater love of man and woman is be- 
lieved by Mary. She says she loves you like that, so the first new moon you 
shall take Mary to wife and when I am gone you shall be chief. I have 
spoken." He turned and strode away. We followed him and joined the 
others. 

We sat to work at once to build a dam over the river and as there 
were many stones on the bank and a large number of our tribe we soon 
erected a rough, irregular dam high enough to raise the river above the dam 
a few feet. 

Our scouts had previously selected this place for at least a temporary 
home for the tribe and we were on our way here when we had camped for 
the night on the banks of the creek near the beaver dam. The selection 
had been made chiefly on account of large caves in the limestone rock of 
the river banks which provided us a protection against animals and enemy 
tribes. 

The largest cave in the rocks was above where we had built the dam 
and the bank of tlie river rose to a considerable height with a sheer wall 
except a narrow ledge which led down to tlie cave. 

When the dam was completed some of us got spears and soon proved 
that the plan of a dam was a good one and a plentiful supply of fish was 
assured. 

Starting a fire with flint stones we prepared a feast of fish. 

The chief told the tribe that Mary and I would be wed on the night of 
the first nev/ moon and that at his death 1 would be Chief. 

The tribe cheered and chattered. Joe and several of my friends crowd- 
ed around and expressed their pleasure for I seemed to be popular with the 
tribe. 

Mary, sitting near her father, was the center of a bevy of girls and 
women that crowded about her. 

One of the tribe had made a large drum out of the skin of a mountain 
goat by rubbing the hair off the skin with stones, drying it in the sun and 
then stretching it over a crude frame made of a sort of bamboo. He beat 
it with a stick that had a knot-like end. 

We were proud of that drum and liked to dance to its tom-tom. 

He got his drum and began drumming a song of the deeds of our tribe 
and the young men danced. There was no union in their dances but each 
danced to suit his fancy and each dance was a sort of story of the bravery 
and battles of the dancer and an expression of his pleasure in the new 
land and the coming wedding and new chief. 

When this was finished one of the young men did a lot of grotesque 

-9— 



dancing and made grimaces and facial distortions, all of which caused much 
laughter among the tribe. 

The chief stopped our merrymaking by calling attention to a few sav- 
ages in the woods in the hills beyond and Ave gathered up our tools and 
packs and went along the edge in the bank to the cave and went to work 
with a will to honeycomb the walls of the big cave with passages connecting 
it with the small caves. For this work we used our stone implements. The 
irregular walls and crevices with the soft character of the stone after the 
outer crust was penetrated made this not such a difficult task and we 
made rapid progress. 

The Chief sent some of the men to spear fish for the evening meal, sev- 
eral hunters came in with animals they liad slain in the mountains and 
woods. Obtaining the Chief's permission Mary and I went to look over the 
country about us. Climbing back along the ledge we then walked up toward 
the mountain along the bank of the river passing over the cave. Near the 
top we stopped to examine a peculiar rock formation. It was almost circu- 
lar in shape but was split in one place. Looking into the crevice which was 
too small to enter we saw what appeared like a small cave with a hole' in 
the floor which seemed to be a continuation of the split in the rock. We 
could see nothing in the cave but could hear a sound like water lapping 
against a stone. 

Beyond the circular rock a high point of rock rose up almost above 
our big cave in the bank above the river and we climbed up this and looked 
over the country about us. Up to this time our conversation was very com- 
monplace and would not be interesting to anyone. In fact I have forgotten 
most of it, but now as we viewed the glorious panorama of nature all around 
us that higher feeling that I had experienced earlier in the day seemed to 
take hold of my mind again and I spoke in effect about as follows: 

"Mary, I am very happy and very proud and I shall try hard to lead 
us into a life of much joy, for truly I feel that we are mates." 

"I feel like that, too," said Mary, "except that it seems to me that we 
will not be wed when my father says but that it will be a long, very long 
time afterward, and so when I should be all joy I feel at times very sad." 

I tried to comfort her and erase the sad feeling but though Mary 
smiled and was full of joy yet there was that sad look in her eyes that 
would not leave. 

"Let us take a swim in the river," said Mary, and she ran back the 
way we came to the river. I soon overtook her and we raced side by side 
down along the banks and down to the dam. We dove into the water and 
swam up the river to a point under the cave. Here we caught hold of a 
projecting ledge of rock and rested. I playfully tried to catch hold of 
Mary's hair but she dove under the water but came up in a moment and 
cried to me, "Come here, John, there is a cave in the rocks under the water 
here and I saw a ledge of dry rock above the water in it." "All right," 
I said, "Come on." So we dove down and sure enough there was a cavern. 
The opening was but a few feet below the river level. We came up to the 
surface of a pool in a small cave. We climbed up on the ledge or floor of 
the cave and looked about. 

The cave was wedge shaped, the large end of the wedge toward the 
river with a small hole like a piece broken off the bottom of the wedge which 
formed the opening into the river. The long end of the wedge ran back 
into the hill. The floor of the cave was almost level and was covered with 
what seemed like fine sand. Mary and I walked to the end of the wedge. 
The ceiling here was only a little higher than our heads but at the extreme 
end there was a chimney like crevice but it was very irregular. Far above 
we could see the light of day. "I believe the opening in the top Is that 
crack in the round rock on top of the hill," said Mary. 

"Well, it is a nice little cave and will make a fine hiding place if we 
ever need it," said I. 

"Let us keep it a secret and make it our cave when we wed," pleaded 

-10— 



Mary. To this of course I agreed. "Now let us go back," she said. So 
we swam back to the dam and then sat on the bank below the dam watch- 
ing our men spearing fish for the evening meal. 

My attention was attracted to a peculiar shaped stone laying at the 
water's edge. I picked it up and found that it was roughly shaped like a 
lion crouching but the head was only a rough mass of rather soft stone. 

Impelled by some force that 1 could not explain I got some stone im- 
plements left on the bank by one of the fishers and while Mary sat watching 
me, I chipped a sort oi rough human face and head out of the top and when 
I had finished I had a rough and very crude shape like a lion's body with 
a human head. 

As it was late in the afternoon and near the time for the evening meal, 
and the fishers had already gone to the cave, Mary said, "Come, John, we 
had better go." So we went and I carried the stone image with me. 

Arriving at the cave I set the image on a ledge of projecting rock and 
we joined the others at the evening meal. 

The Chief asked me to sit with him and Mary and after we finished 
eating he said to me, "John, you are not the only one of our tribe who was 
hoping to win Mary. Isca was in love with her and he has left us. I saw 
him going into the woods yonder and 1 fear he has became a traitor and in- 
tends to get revenge by leading our enemies against us." 

"I never liked him and now 1 hate him," said Mary. 

"Chief, this is bad news," I said. "I will take some men and go after 
Isca. We promised the Magda tribe that if we lound a good land we would 
let them know. There are large caves above here and the Magdas are our 
friends and very strong, so I would like to kee]) on and bring the Magdas 
here. We would then be safe from attack." 

"Well said, my son," said the old Chief; "take the men you want and 
leave tomorrow morning." 

"Nay, Chief," I said, "it would be better if T left now becaiise then I 
may overtake Isca where he camps tonight before he can get with the en- 
emy. Let me take Joe and three others and leave now." 

"Co, my son," said the Chief. 

I turned to say farewell to Mary. That sad look that had haunted her 
eyes and face all day was now deeply outlined there, but before I could 
speak she said, "Kiss me and go; it is your duty. We v/ill be mates some 
day and I will love you always." 

I kissed her then and she tore herself out of my arms when I would 
have lingered and said, "See, John, the sun sets. Tt is time to go." I 
started away but at the entrance I turned and looked back. Mary lay upon 
the fioor, her head pillowed on her arm sobbing, and then a cry caused me 
to look toward the other end of the cave. There was all my tribe staring 
toward the extreme end and just then they prostrated themselves. I looked 
to the end of the projecting ledge and there was the stone image I had set 
there but now it looked like burnished gold for the last rays of the setting 
sun fell full upon it. 

Then a long time seems to have elapsed and 1 was an old man and lived 
in a cave at the top of the hill in the circular shaped rock. The crevice had 
been enlarged to make a door. The hole in the floor was covered with a thin 
slate like slab of rock and on this I was working, cutting pictures telling the 
story of the building of the dam and the dawn of the first mental light. 

I was called the hermit or tlie lone man on the hill and treated with 
great consideration by the Magdas whose mightv tribe inhabited our old 
cave and the other large caves. The dam was still there but was broken 
down and had never been rebuilt as the Magdas ate very little fish, being a 
meat loving people. 

As I worked away on the picture history on the stone once again as 
a thousand times before I lived over the tragedy of my life. Starting from 
the time of leaving the cave on the trail of Isca we five quickly picked up 
his tracks and being swift runners we had made the place where Isca had 



met two of our enemies and the three had journeyed together. From here 
we proceeded with much caution until late at night we came to a large camp 
of the enemy. 1< orced to give up the idea of capturing Isca we found a safe 
spot, camped for the night and the next day pushed on toward the camp 
of the Magdas which we made in lour days. We remained with them for 
several days until they got ready to move and on account of being a large 
tribe their move was necessarily much slower than our journey to them so 
it was about three weeks as we now measure time before I again saw our 
colony at the dam. 

Running ahead of the others to greet my people and embrace my dear 
Mary I came upon a scene of horror that for many moons threatened to 
cost me my reason. Most of my tribesmen lay about dead, the rest with all 
the women and children had been carried into captivity. 

Then I did naturally something that I regretted shortly afterwards for 
all the rest of my life. I persuaded the Magdas to give chase to our ene- 
mies believing that they were carrying Mary away with the other women 
and children. For two long moons we followed them and finally succeeded 
in engaging them in battle and defeating them, rescued my people and then 
learned that Mary was not vv^ith them when they were taken prisoners; one 
of them had seen her leap into the river and saw no more of her. 

Then the cave with the entrance under the river flashed to my mind. 
I started back immediately alone braving all the dangers without thought 
of them but running for days until I fell exhausted, resting until I recovered, 
then on again until I reached the site of our colony. I plunged into the 
river, swam up stream and when under the big cave dove down to find a 
huge rock blocking up the entrance. I came up to the surface and looked 
up to see if I had missed the location and then I saw that the projecting 
rock on which I had placed the idol had broken off and fallen into the river 
and the enormous mass blocked up the entrance of the cave. 

Later from the prisoners we captured and our rescued women I learned 
that the enemies had broken off the projecting ledge of rock when they had 
scrambled up there to examine the stone image I put there. Several of them 
were on the ledge when one picked up the image and jumped to the cave 
floor below. At this moment and before the others could get out of the 
way the huge mass of rock had broken off and fallen into the river. Wheth- 
er those on the ledge when it fell were killed or escaped no one seemed 
to know. 

But when I came out of the river at the dam after seeing the rock over 
the lower cave entrance I knew nothing for many weeks. My friend Joe 
and the three who had gone on the journey to the Magdas with me found 
me on the bank of the river and nursed me back to life. 

A long time afterward I made my cave in the circular rock at the top 
of the hill and then looking at the hole in the floor, the chimney-like crev- 
ice that Mary and I saw occurred to me. With feverish haste I worked my 
way down the hole until I reached the floor of the cave and there I found 
her — dead. 

I left her body there in the cave we had planned to make our honey- 
moon home and lived in the cave on the top of the hill over the hole. Be- 
tween the two I and my friends placed the slab of rock on which I am mak- 
ing the pictures and every little while I move the slab and go to the rest- 
ing place of my Mary where she sleeps looking almost lifelike for her lime- 
stone tomb has petrified her body. These things I did not understand then 
but now as I live them over I know the cause and effect — the scene is shut 
out of my view — and I awoke. 



12— 



ACT II. 

Oration of the Herald or Voice: — 

"Brothers! 

"Dreams, symbols and mystical drama are strangely Interwoven in 
the history of man. In this act we shall see a day in Ancient Egypt. At 
this stage of man's earth life wonderful monuments were erected — the 
Sphinx and the Great Pyramid, emblems of the beacons of light which 
gathering some force here flashed on down through many centuries. 

"The part of the people who were seeking knowledge had advanced 
from idol worshippers to and founded a worship of the sun called by them 
Re as a visible beneficient god typifying the good principle furnishing light 
and heat to the world. Centuries later the Sun God and his supposed son 
by a union with the earth, Mithras, was the God of millions of people — 
Egyptians, Persians and Hindus. The Parsees of India, fire worshippers of 
today, and the Gypsies are direct descendents of these people. 

"They had made from rock an enormous male figure, 189 feet in length, 
of a recumbent lion's body and human head. This was a statue to Re and 
was later named Harmachias. It faces directly east toward the rising sun." 
The Ancient Egyptians and many succeeding generations have passed 
away and where these people dwelt is now a sand swept desert, but through- 
out all the changes and now in silent grandeur stands this statue now known 
as the Sphinx. 

Cheop's pyramid now called the great pyramid Giza, covers over thir- 
teen acres of ground, and it is almost three times as large and is fifty feet 
higher than St. Peter's Cathedral at Rome. Notwithstanding its enormous 
size the four sides of the base at this time have a mean error of only about 
six-tenths of an inch in length and it is only twelve seconds in angle from a 
perfect square. 

"The objects that led up to its erection while first suggested in con- 
nection with the provision of a fitting tomb for the Pharoah Cheops or Khufu 
and his Queen was developed by that wise and good ruler into the idea of a 
lasting monument to the greatness and achievements being wrought by his 
people. It was also intended to provide chambers or a temple for rites of 
the priests of the sun as Khufu had closed the temples of the idols and pro- 
claimed the true worship to be that of Re (the Sun). A priesthood had 
long before been created as a development of the medicine man or con- 
jurers of the tribes into priests of the idol worshipers and from that it was 
but a natural step to the establishment of the priesthood in the sun 
worship. 

"And in addition the Architects and Builders who were the most in- 
telligent and learned of all the people, and from whom Khufu had selected 
the priests of the sun, needed a place to house, safeguard and preserve the 
secrets and knowledge of the art of architecture and building which at that 
time and for many centuries later were held as secrets by the craftsmen. 
The knowledge they had then attained is party preserved to this day in the 
location, structure and the picture and hieroglyphic carvings on the walls of 
the pyramid. This pyramid is in reality the first book of history. When 
the present earth's people shall have learned to read all of that history what 
a wondrous tale it will unfold to them. 

"But some of their knowledge perished with the architects and builders 
who were destroyed in a battle on the day you shall see presented. Among 
their achievements was the invention of the first sun-glass. By observing 
and studying nature they had discovered that heat from volcanic action 
created stones and would weld stones together. So they invented an enor- 
mous sun-glass and a means of storing the sun rays heat, a powerful blast 
furnace that used this heat to melt sand, making stones, and to weld the 
stones from which the pyramids were built into solid masses." 

Pharoah Khufu named the day you shall see as a day of public celebra- 

— 13— 



tion of the completing of the pyramid, but several days before news of the 
approach of an eiionnous horde of savages came and Pharoah led his armies 
forth to give them battle, as he had not countermanded the order for the 
celebration it was held and the daughter of Pharoah presided over the fes- 
tivities. She, the daughter of the king in this incarnation, was the soul- 
mate Mary of the man John in our story." 

"Only a few last touches were needed to complete the pyramid and 
these were added during the day of celebration, so at sunrise we see the 
public ceremony of sacrificing a bull, a symbol of lower nature being con- 
quered. 

"BEHOLD! ACT II. 

"Time — The IV Dynasty, 3900 yeais before Christ." 

II. 

Later when the gray dawn of the day in this life came in the east I saw 
a vast gathering of people, thousands of women and children and several 
hundred men. In the foreground was a party of about a hundred men- all 
dressed in white with white turbans except my turban had a purple band 
and over my shoulders was a cape with purple bands. On the right of this 
group was a small dias on which was a large square high back chair and 
on either end of the top of the chair was the figure of a lion and the names 
of Princess Mary, a daughter of Khufu, Pharoah of Kemi (native name of 
Egypt). The Princess Mary sat upon this chair, dressed in a gown of pure 
white, her ankles and feet bare. She wore a necklace of a variety of 
precious stones and around her forelaead and hair was a gold band. 

I looked at the shrine between the paws of Ra (now called the Sphinx) 
on which stood an enormous live bull which the priests had placed there 
before daylight. He was held there by the simjile device of fastening his 
feet to the ends of a stone slab that lay upon the altar. The High Priest 
gave the signal by extending his hand and arm and one of his four 
assistants, a powerfully built young man, picked up a spear that had 
lain on the floor in front of the altar and drove it into the breast ot 
the bull. The spear must have penetrated the heart, for with only one bel- 
low he crumpled down dead. The third Priest seemed but to place his hand 
on the edge of the stone slab and instantly there flashed up a pillar of fire 
that enveloped the bull. 

To most of the assemblage the pillar of flame without the wood pile 
that had lieretofore been used in burning a sacrifice was a miracle and 
they gazed at it with wonder and awe. I and my brothers about me knew 
that tlie slab of rock which held the bull was hollowed out and filled with 
oil. One of the priests stood behind the altar now and sprayed more oil on 
the fire with a large hand-bellows made with wooden handles and top and 
bottom and sides of animal skin with a long stone nozzle. The oil was taken 
into the bellows from a large-barrel shaped vessel by the suction caused 
by opening the bellows and forced out in a stream or spray by closing. The 
oil had been set on fire from a flame in a small bia/.ier in tlie hands of the 
priest. 

Now the four assistant priests took stations at each corner of the 
Shrine, the High Priest maintaining his position in front of the altar, but 
he now turned toward the sun and as the full orb became visible he extended 
his arms toward it, the other priests and the people extended their arms 
in like manner and we all maintained that position for a little while then 
resumed our normal position. This was tlie silent prayer, an inovation, and 
like that of the oil fire, introduced for the first time on this occasion. 

The High Priest now signified our dismissal by a wave of his hands so 
that this ceremony of sacrifice with the exception of the death cry of the 
bull, was held in silence. 

The people were deeply impressed and did not speak as they quietly 
dispersed. 

-14— 



My companions, the men dressed in wliite with the turbans, with rolls 
like a scroll at the back, and I are the Architects and Builders of the Great 
Pyramid. They now walk toward the pyramid as we are to hold a meeting 
there in one hour atter the sun rises and I hasten to the raised platform 
where the Princess sits. Approaching to within about twenty feet of the 
]ilatform I stopped and kneeling upon one knte with bowed head as is the 
regular custom I await the pleasure of the Princess Mary, who in the ab- 
sence of Pharoah is invested with the rights and powers of a Queen. 

"Approach most noble Wise Chief John for I would have speech with 
you," said Princess Mary extending the sceptre in her right hand. 

I arose and walked to the platform where I stood, and now I looked 
at Princess Mary and my being thrilled with joy for I dared to love her 
and 1 loved her sincerely, devotedly, with all my heart. She is a beautiful 
girl nineteen years of age, tall, slender, but well formed, with dark hair, 
olive complexion and wonderful blue eyes. 

Princess Mary's face flushed and roses appeared in her cheeks and I 
thought 1 wonder if she knows I love her and returns it, and then I chided 
myself with the tliought, "No, you love-mad fool, you are not eligible to 
marry her and why should she care for you." Princess Mary said, "I sent 
the messenger yesterday to bid you attend here this morning after the 
services because I wish you to show me the pyramid and explain its con- 
struction to me. There are some parts of it that I have not yet seen and 
now that it is about completed I want to insi ect it thoroughly. Pharoah 
had promised to take me with him on the tour of inspection and in his 
absence I shall go with you." 

"Gracious Princess," said I, "I shall do your bidding with much joy. 
Your visit of inspection will be an honor that 1 and my brothers will appre- 
ciate and will consider a reward far in excess of the value of our poo^ 
services." 

"1 will come to the pyramid entrance immediately after the dance," 
said the Princess; 'meet me there, you may go." And with my head in the 
clouds and my brain in a whirl I went to the meeting with my brother 
Architects and Builders in the Pyramid. 

The only visible entrance was on the north side of the pyramid and 
was reached by ascending an inclined plane. Inside the entrance was a large 
oblong shaped chamber, at the west side of which was the door to the long 
descending passage; from this descending passage was a cross passage run- 
ning to the Queen's chamber. The ascending and cross passage were 
closed by plugging blocks which concealed the opening of the ascending 
passage where it branched upward out of the roof of the long descending 
passage and the point in the side of the ascending passage where the en- 
trance was to the cross passage. On the ground level and at the eastern side 
of the building was the main chamber of the Architects and Builders. This 
was reached by another passage in the roof of the descending passage be- 
low that of the king's passage. Next to the main Architects' chamber there 
were other rooms but the ijuryoses and objects of these I do not feel at 
liberty to describe. At the bottom of the descending passage was the cham- 
ber intended for the inner temple of the priests of Re. I'his v/as not com- 
1-leted and it was destined never to be finished. 

I was late and found all my brothers seated quietly waiting for me. 
Our former Wise Chief Hardadf, who was the principal Architect of the 
pyramid, had died a little more than two years before this time and, much 
to my surprise then and since, when I think of it in view of my age, as I was 
then only twenty-four years old, 1 had been selected as Wise Chief. I had 
been deeply interested in the sun ray welder and made a number of im- 
lirovements to it which facilitated our work and to this and the general 
knowledge of architecture I had acquired, a cheerful personality and the 
favor of the former Wise Chief I attribute the high honor my Brother Arch- 
itects and Builders had conferred upon me. 

1 greeted the brothers and immediately began an address telling them 

— 15- 



of the proposed visit of Princess Mary and then I referred to the stone slab 
whicli lay on the table before us that had been found in a cave and sent to 
us and to our agreement that the picture writing told of the men of an age 
a thousand years ago, having watched beavers build a dam, had conceived 
the idea and united in building a dam. The pictures of fishing with a spear 
following indicated that was the object desired. Then the pitcures showed 
the destruction of most of the tribe. Added to this was a picture of a crude 
resemblance to the shape of our Ra (the Sphinx). 

Continuing I recounted how we had decided to cut on this stone in 
hieroglyphics an account of the establishment of the worship of Re (the Sun) 
and the building of the pyramid and I concluded with the statement that I 
had now completed this and that the stone should be placed temporarily in 
the outer chamber so that it might be viewed by the Nobles and Ladies of 
the land. 

I told them of the material we needed to complete the lower chamber 
according to our plans and selected six of the brothers to go to the foreign 
countries and procure these things. I directed these brothers to start on 
their journey at once, and after selecting several of the brothers to assist 
me in finishing some work at the entrance with the sun ray welder I closed 
the address and the meeting. 

The six brothers selected to procure materials bid us good bye and left 
on their missions. These men, who were builders and not of the architect 
class, were destined to be the sole survivors of our organization of Arch- 
itects and Builders, the evolution of that work for many years during which 
time some marvelous architectural achievements were accomplished, two 
of them I believe will be world wonders to the end of time. 

Before beginning the preparations for the completion of the entrance 
I went out to examine the sun-glass, heat ray storage plant and welder, the 
construction and improvement of which always had a fascination for me and 
as it may be of interest to those who may later read this I will pause to 
describe its construction. 

In quarrying stone for the pyramid they began at the top of a small 
hill of solid rock near the site selected for the pyramid and had cut down 
a large oblong section to a depth of about one hundred and fifty feet when 
they discovered the top of a large cave. It was oval in shape like an egg 
standing on end with the smallest end on top. It was at the top that they had 
cut through; there had been a crevice in the rock there. Blasts of hot air 
came from the cave at first but after a day or two they were able to discover 
that it was very deep and at the bottom was a seething mass of mud or lava 
as doubtless this had once been a small volcano-like vent for the earth's 
heat. 

Now our former Chief Architect Hardadf had conceived an idea of util- 
izing heat to facilitate the erection of the pyramid. Our order had made a 
study of volcanic actions and in experiments had discovered how to make 
glass. While studying this glass composition Chief Hardadf discovered the 
heat resulting from a concentration of the sun rays through glass. He then 
made a small crude sun-glass and began experimenting to store heat. Com- 
municating his discoveries to the Order they were giving it much thought 
when the cave was discovered and the idea of utilizing it was evolved. 

They left a heavy roof over the cave and cut away the rock near one 
side leaving a wall over fifty feet in thickness at the thinnest point. When 
this part was completed they had an oblong chamber in the side of the 
hill alongside the cave. At its depth the chamber bottom was just a little 
above the center of the height of the cave. It was also just above the level 
of the site of the pyramid. They bored a descending passage at a forty 
degree angle through the wall to the cave. 

In this chamber next to the cave, after cutting down the side walls 
to sloping angles, they erected a powerful sun-glass with polished copper 
mirror reflectors. The details of the construction 

(Note: — Here is a section of the papyrus that cannot be read.) 

. — 16— 



The sun-glass was constucted so that the heat rays of the sun upon it 
any hour of the day were caught, transferred and stored in tlie cave. 

Our order knew that a mass of lava will take many years to cool off. 
In fact we knew of some that had retained its heat for over twenty years. 
Because of its properties for retaining heat we decided to fill the cave partly 
lull of lava and after much effort we succeeded in securing and transporting 
to the cave enough to fill it almost half full. When this was finished we 
closed up the opening to the cave at the top leaving two holes. First, how- 
ever, we rigged inside the top a slab of asbestos-like stone so that it would 
close off one of the holes when the other was open. This was rigged with 
a lever so that it could be moved to close either hole thereby opening the 
other and this lever was operated by a crude block and tackle arrangement 
so that the holes could be opened and closed from a station at the base of 
the rock which was nearly on a ground level with the base of the pyramid. 
From one of the holes at the top of the cave we built a conduit which 
ran down the side of the hill to the site of the pyramid and around it. 
This was made of the heat resisting stone already spoken of. On each side 
of the pyramid was a station in the conduit that contained a huge damper 
in the main pipe. To this station was attached a long flexible pipe made of 
a compound of which the asbestos rock formed the larger part. 

The various parts of the sun-glass were arranged with such precision 
of location and reflection that the sun rays were cast directly through the 
hole at the side of the cave on to the lava mass in it. 

Inside the cave now that enormous mass of lava was sending forth 
waves of terrific heat which escaped out of the hole in the top except when 
the welder was in use when we closed the escape hole and opened the 
other. The day previous I had noticed that either the enormous heat or 
the recent earthquake shock had caused a crack near the top and I was 
anxious to examine it today. I found that the crack has opened enough 
to leave a little heat escape and it looked as though it might widen at any 
time so I sent a workman to cover the sun-glass with the idea of shutting 
off the source of some of the heat and allowing the lava to cool off enough 

to enable us to examine the crack and repair the damage 

The people were gathering for the dance of joy and thanksgiving which 
was to be held in front of the entrance to the pyramid so I went there and 
entered the outer chamber where I awaited my brothers and the hour of 
noon. 

One of my servants announced that a runner or messenger wished to 
deliver a message. 

"Bid him come here," I told the servant, and while I awaited his ap- 
pearance I wondered if it could be a message from the Princess Mary and 
feared that she had decided to postpone her visit to the pyramid until 
Pharoah's return. 

Then I saw the runner coming and noted that by his appearance he had 
evidently come a long ways and seemed almost exhausted. Stopping about 
ten feet from me he extended his right hand and bowed low and then speak- 
ing with difficulty said, "Most Noble Wise Chief, last evening Pharoah sent 
me with a message to Princess Mary to inform her that our great army was 
then four days march away and that our scouts reported the savages were 
retreating. Our column was seen to take the canyon route in the hills and 
Pharoah directed that Princess IMary instruct Cedrac, Chief of the armies 
now here, to lead all the available forces into the north pass to intercept 
the enemy and drive them back." 

"Princess Mary sent a messenger to Chief Cedrac and then ordered me 
to come to you and telling you of Pharoah's command to add that she bid 
you order any of the soldier workmen, who were now at work or in the 
pyramid, to report to Chief Cedrac at once." 

"Very good but tarry," I said, and then I gave orders to servants to 
go to all parts of the pyramid and tell the soldier workmen that the Princess 
ordered their immediate report to Chief Cedrac for duty. "Now messenger, 

— 17- 



how fares it with our army; have they battled with the savages yet?" 

"No," the messenger replied, "we had not seen anything but the backs 
of the enemy in the distance up to the time I left and I don't think they 
will," and he smiled. 

I do not like that man's face or manner, I thought, as I dismissed him. 
From that moment 1 had a presentiment of some impending evil, although 
I then attributed the feeling to my concern over the crack in the sun-ray 
storage cave walls. Later when the revolution broke forth the Princess 
and I realized that Pharoah had been tricked into the expedition against 
the savages and that the messenger had not been sent by Pharoah, but that 
it was all the carefully concocted scheme of the priests of the idols. 

III. 

Chadras, one of the architects, came to my side and said, "Wise Chief, 
all is now ready for you to set the last stone in the doorway which finishes 
all the outer part of the temple and in fact all of it above ground. The 
workmen have finished removing tlie rubbish. It is now but thirty minutes 
lo noon; we can set the stone in twenty minutes. Princess Mary is now 
approaching and the preparations are complete." 

"Coming," I said and arose and walked toward the entrance with 
Chadras. 

"What surprises me," he said, "is the relatively few people there are 
here, allowing for the main army and the troops that Chief Cedrac is as- 
sembling 1 think there should be three times as many people here. Tlie 
people were in the city this morning, thousands are here from all over the 
land. It is too bad that Pharoah did not order a postponement or that 
Princess Mary did not do so." 

"Seeking the applaudits of the people," I laughingly replied. "Perhaps 
many of them prefer to watch Cedrac's troops departing. We can cele- 
brate the event just as well and tliis is the proper time, and as you know 
1 did not favor delay because 1 do not believe in postponements if they can 
be prevented, so my brother, let us enter into our part witli right good will. 
Perhaps Pharoah will order a repetition when he returns and you will then 
have all the glory you want." 

We arrived at the entrance and I looked out. There was only ten or 
twelve thousand people there but I had time for a glance only as 1 noted 
Princess Mary was seated on the State Cliair and all eyes were centered 
on us, so I proceeded with our part of the programme and spreading a kind 
of cement or mortar directed the stone being lifted, which was done with 
cranes with a double block and tackle and then with the assistance of eight 
of the brothers I lifted the sun-ray welder, signaled the men to operate the 
lever that moved the stone at the top of our man-made volcano and the 
heat blast welded the mortar into the rough surface of the stone until it 
resembled one solid mass. Indeed the entire exterior of the building whicli 
was now completed looked as though it had been cut out of a stone moun- 
tain. 

Our part of the ceremony being finished we took seats on a row of 
chairs with our backs to the pyramid. The High Priest and his assistants 
took their stations in the center of the stage that had been assigned for 
the dance and signaled the dance to begin. 

Vashoneta, Virgin of the Sun, now came before the High Priests, and 
first raising her eyes and hands to the sun for a moment she began a dance 
that told, in a pantomime of beauty and grace, our history and progress 
during the reign of Pharoah Khufu. In the absence of Pharoah the dancer 
indicated him as represented by the Princess. 1 wish I could describe that 
dance in detail but my knowledge of dancing is decidedly limited. 

Vashoneta wore only a tunic and a filmy drapery, her legs, arms and 
shoulders were bare, her long black hair hung down nearly to her knees 
when it was not flying about in the maze of the dance. She was a very 
beautiful, well-developed brown skinned girl and on this occasion wore no 

—18- 



ornaments or colors of any sort as both her tunic and drapery were pure 
white. When time in its natui-al way slaall have dimmed tlie memory of 
much of that day next to Princess Mary's face and form and lier every word 
and look I believe I shall retain longest a picture of Vashoneta's dance — it 
made so strong an appeal to my love for beautiful art. 

At the conclusion of her individual dance Vashoneta moved in spiral 
whirls to a large circle and then paused while three hundred and sixty-four 
dancers joined her and forming a circle began a dance continuing this 
circular formation intended to represent joy and thanksgiving throughout 
the year, each dancer representing one day of the year. 

During the circular dance I looked about and by chance my eyes rested 
upon the drummer who, with the other musicians, was furnishing the music 
and I stared at him wondering who it was that I knew that he looked like 
but I could not remember, so I finally gave it up and turned to look aC 
Princess Mary. But thinking of this now I recall a curious something that 
I shall offer no explanation tor, i. e. the drummer of the stone age and the 
drummer of the pyramid dance did not look the same yet they were like a 
man made up in two parts. 

For some time I had been watching Princess Mary and was reveling in 
an elysium of delight and day dreaming when Handerne, the oldest and most 
learned of our order, who sat at my right, touched me on the arm and in 
low tones said, "Wise Chief, you will pardon an old man, because a friend 
and brother, for some warning words. You are allowing a vain love to run 
away v/ith your usual good sense and a loss of sense in this case means a 
loss of your head." 

"Well said, and I thank you," I replied. "I must be a fool indeed if 
my face tells my foolish fancies. I shall make no dishonest pretense with 
you, my brother, I am mad and I hope the Princess has not observed my 
folly for she would be very angry." 

"No you need not fear the anger of the Princess." 

"What do you mean?" I demanded. 

"Just what is plain to any observer but what in your state of mind you 
cannot see. That is, that if the Princess was not the daughter of Pharoah 
she would be joyful over the prospect of being your wife, young man," 
answered Handerne, "but as you know that cannot be." 

"You think — you actually mean to say that she likes — loves me?" I 
questioned. 

"Yes, we are quite sure of it," he answered. 

"The others, they know and think so, too?" I asked. 

"Yes," he said, "brother, we understand and will sympathize with you 
when you begin to tear down the air castles you are allowing your fancy to 
build now. You must know that whatsoever v/e say or do in this matter is 
solely in your interest and will pardon the suggestion I aai requested to 
make to you by the brothers. Listen, brother, since the stars foretell much 
building in other countries and especially that some wondeis will be erected 
at Babylon, which is now but a little place, and our Order has selected me 
for the honor of a journey in that land with the idea of laying the founda- 
tion of establishing a branch of our Order of Architects and Builders there, 
Avhy not talie my place, John; a year or two away from here will make it 
much easier for you." 

"Brother Handerne, I am deeply grateful to the brothers and especially 
you. I will think it over but 1 will not take your place though I may decide 
to accompany you. As I have an appointment to conduct the Princess 
through the pyramid and the dance is over, while the people feast let us 
join them for a few moments as I see that the Princess and the ladies of 
licr court are now doing. Come with me," I said, and turning to the others 
1 invited all to join us so we marched over in a body and partook of some 
refreshments. 

1 returned alone to the entrance of the pyramid and there a little later 
I met Princess i\[ary and Lady Eloane; the latter was the sister of one ot 

— 19- 



our architects and the wife of a Noble of the land, and in addition to being 
a charming lady was a very good friend of mine. I wonder if her brother 
and the order had anything to do with Lady Eloane's being Princess Mary's 
companion on this occasion, figuring ont that I might let my great love for 
the Princess trick me into some sr/eech that would be unfortunate or even 
dangerous for me. If so and they enlisted the Lady Eloane as their ally 
they lost sight of a characteristic feminine trait that makes a match maker 
instead of breaker out of every happy woman under forty years of age and 
perhaps much older with the majority of tliem. Then, too, perhaps our 
friendship was a factor, at any rate as you shall hear. Lady Eloane deserted 
if indeed she was an ally of my architect brothers. 

After the proscribed salutation required by court etiquette of the day 
Princess Mary's first words gave me a feeling of great ease and perhaps did 
much to lower the barrier between us. 

"Greeting, Wise Chief, and now you may dispense with the court cere- 
monies and treat me just as you would if I were Lady Eloane's sister," she 
said. 

I had the good sense and taste to express my appreciation with siml^le 
thanks and then I greeted Lady Eloane whom I liked very much, "So glad 
to see you, Eloane. This is an added pleasure to the great honor bestowed 
on me today," and I bowed to Princess Mary. 

"I suppose I shall be obliged to continually remind you that I have a 
fancy to be treated as a visiting lady and not as a ruler today," said the 
Princess to me laughingly. 

"He is usually a rather nice boy and may be counted upon to compre- 
hend some things and render obedience after he has been told two or three 
times," said Lady Eloane, "but of course his head has been turned by the 
celebration today, Princess, so you will please be patient with him, I trust." 

"I plead guilty to not being entirely accountable for my actions today," 
I said and then I wondered at the merry twinkle in Eloane's eyes. 

"The ceremonies were very impressive," said the Princess, "and the 
dancing of Vashoneta was truly wonderful; did you not think it beautiful?" 
she asked me. 

I launched into an enthusiastic description of Vashoneta's beauty and 
her dancing, and at its conclusion I noticed by Princess Mary's expression 
that she had lost interest in the dancing and was looking at the figures and 
hieroglyphics on the wall. 

When I had finished the Princess walked over and examined the wall and 
I took advantage of this to whisper, "Eloane, what slip did my fool tongue 
make, or do I but imagine that my raving over Vashoneta did not please 
the Princess. Come, my friend, please tell me." 

But she would only laugh quietly and as she passed me whispered, 
"poor boy." 

I followed and joined them and for some minutes we walked quietly 
about while the ladies read symbols and writing. They were soon some fifty 
feet apart and I kept close to the Princess. 

"This account of how my father upon becoming Pharoah closed all the 
temples of the Idols and proclaimed Re, the true god is well done," said the 
Princess, "it will tell all the future peoples of the world of that noble and 
daring act as well as his other great achievements and it was daring for he 
has told me that he greatly feared a revolution for a time but by firmness 
and vigilence that danger was averted and the people are now happy and 
converted to the change and that brings me to a question that I have longed 
to ask you. Tell me truly in confidence and with the assurance that your 
answer is for my ears only, do you and the members of the Order of Archi- 
tects believe that Re is the true god, or have you in your wisdom and 
searching after knowledge found another god? Answer me on your honor 
because I want to know just what you and the learned ones really believe." 

"Know then, oh. Princess, that we believe the adoption of the worship 
of Re was a tremendous advance in the progress of the most intelligent and 

-20- 



learned of the people on earth. We are of the opinion that the worship of 
Re will extend and develop into a religion of a large part of the earth's 
people and will probably last for many centuries. We honor and revere the 
great Pharoah Khufu far more for his action in closing the temples of the 
Idols and establishing what he believes to be a worship of the true god than 
we do for his part in the creation of this building. 

"The Idols while they in a sense represent the people's intuitive realiza- 
tion of a God or higher force that directs their lives are but man-made and 
very crude representations of religious thought and for that purpose Re is 
vastly superior as a visible and beneficient expresion of Deity and a much 
nearer and better symbol of the truth. We know that Re is in reality a 
large globe of fire, probably of a consistency like unto lava in our cave fur- 
nace, it is in truth an agent or creation of God placed there for the benefit 
of this earth as are also the stars and moon who serve us in a minor degree 
but we who have sought truth have come to believe that beyond all this 
there is a great spirit God." 

"How grand and glorious and your words create for me a perfectly 
<'lear conception of what I have vaguely felt and thought many times," said 
the Princess, "but Lady Eloane approaches and there is much that I would 
like to see." 

"Allow me to suggest that we go first to view the death chamber pre- 
pared for the illustrious Pharoah and then the Queen's chamber below it," 
I said. 

The Princess hesitated, seemed lost in thought for a few moments, 
then she said, "Nay, you know I saw them with Pharoah and the Queen a 
short time ago and besides I am in no mood today to see chambers prepared 
to receive my parents when they are dead. Let us view the rooms that have 
been completed recently and the secret treasure chamber, also such of the 
rooms assigned to your Order of the Architects and Builders as you wish to 
let us see, and thoiigh I shall of course be curious concerning what may be 
in secret chambers that you do not show us I well know Pharoah's or- 
ders that none may enter the chambers set apart for the wise ones unless 
invited to do so by them." 

We then passed into the descending passage and at the second upper 
passage went in there to the main chamber and also viewed some of the 
work rooms of the Architects. 

Having comi)leted their inspection we went down the descending pas- 
sage to a point where a cross passage led to the chamber that was reserved 
for the historical relics of our people. 

"How much you have to interest you," remarked the Princess address- 
ing me. "You must always be satisfied and happy in your grand work." 

"All these things I do have and enjoy and much honor has been thrust 
upon me by my brothers that I do not feel I have earned," said 1, "but of a 
truth I am not happy now because I long for something that is unattain- 
able." 

"Oh I see," said the Princess. "Let us now view the secret treasure 
chamber." 

"I crave pardon, Princess, but we cannot visit it today." 

"Why not?" she demanded. 

"It is Pharoah's edict that none may enter there but the royal family, 
the treasurer and myself, and therefore we cannot do so today because I 
dare not admit the Lady Eloane,'" said I. 

"Lady Eloane understands that order and will not feel wounded be- 
cause of it, and she will also not notice that the Princess has broken a 
Court rule in choosing to go alone with the Wise Chief to see the treasures 
of the kingdom for today I feel that I really have but very little." 

"Why, dear Princess," said Lady Eloane, "you have everything your 
father is the great Pharoah; you have wealth and the homage of the people; 
you have youth and beauty, and in the natural course of events you will one 
d.ay rule in your father's stead. You are the great Princess of all this land." 

—21 — 



"I wish I were not the Princess but could take the place of some other 
girl," was the suria-ising statement of the Princess, and she turned and 
walked toward the entrance." 

Eloane looked at me v/ith a curious smile and said, "I am very much 
interested in these relics of the first and second dyuasty; please send a 
message or call for me when you return from the treasure chamber." 

"I looked back at her when I had reached the side of the Princess and 
she was standing in the same spot looking after us with a face that beamed 
with a tender smile. "Lucky Lady Eloane, how happy in your love!' I 
thought and followed after the Princess. 

"Lead, please, and I will follow you," requested the Princess when we 
had reached the point in the passage to the treasure chamber and 1 obeyed 
— neither of us spoke again until we entered the chamber and until after 
the Princess had examined some rare jewels. 

"Wise Chief John, perhaps the barrier to the attainment of your long- 
ing can be removed," said the Princess. 

I stared at her in amazement, dumbfounded, speechless, and then with 
flushed face and eyes that seemed unnaturally bright she went on to Say, 
"I know that the priests' orders have created her a virgin of Re and she can- 
not marry unless this order is revoked, but perhaps 1 can persuade Pharoah 
as a reward for your services, to cause the priests to substitute another, 
although I know he will be loath to take a hand in the matter even for 
me." 

"Why 1 — I," I stammered, "do not understand what you mean." 

"You love Vaslioneta," said she. "You may confess to me and I will 
do all I can to help you. 

"Love Vashoneta," I cried. "Indeed I do not love — " and I paused in 
alarm and confusion. 

"Then if it is not Vashoneta who is the fortunate fair one," the Princess 
asked and she seemed agitated and surprised. 

"I dare not tell you," I replied. "Please forgive and pardon me and 
forget my foolish words." 

Why not tell me. Your secret will be safe and perhaps I can help 
you," questioned the Princess. "Who can the lady be aside from Vaslioneta 
who is unattainable for you. The order of Nobility conferred upon you by 
Pharoah renders you an eligible suitor for any of them. Is it possible that 
the reason for the nonattainment of your desire is the lady's husband?" 

"No, No!" I replied. "The lady is not married." 

"Have you told her of your love?" Princess Mary asked and she seemed 
to await my answer with breathless interest. 

"No," I replied, "I dare not." 

"I do not believe tliat in all Kemi there could be found an unmar- 
ried lady except perhaps Vashoneta who would not be pleased to know that 
a man like you loved her even if she did not love him," said the Princess. 
But it would do no good for me to tell her and I dare not risk her displeas- 
ure, yes, even more than that, my chance of the happiness of occasionally 
basking in the sunshine of her present," I cried out. 

"I am much surprised to hear that you are a self-confessed coward and 
afraid of a woman at that," said she. "How do you know she does not re- 
turn your affection?" 

"It is not possible," I said miserably. 

"Why not dare the issue and find out," demanded the Princess. 

My emotions surged within me and then I grew more calm. The Prin- 
cess's eyes held mine and then I answered her, "Very well, I shall do so. 
I am mad but I do not care now. Weighed against my love, my future 
career and the life that I must lose because of my love are as nothing. Be- 
hold, I lay them at your feet. I love you. I should be on my knees or grovel- 
ing at your feet for mercy, but I care nothing for the fact that you are 
Princess of this land, therefore unattainable to me, or that as such Princess 
I am your subject and loyal servant. I tell you now just man to woman 

—22- 



that I love you. Do you hear? I love you and when I am on the rack or 
called upon to die or am rotting in prison for daring to speak thus to you do 
you think I will be sorrowing or regretting then? No, no, a thousand times 
no! because through it all my heart will be saying I told her, I TOLD HER 
that I love her, that I love her, not as Princess but as woman I now address 
you, Mary, Mary, I love you." I ceased and waited for the words that would 
begin my punishment. 

I stood with bowed head, not daring to look at the Princess, until I 
heard her sobbing softly. I turned and falling on my knees I implored her 
to forgive me. 

"What for?" she asked, ceasing her sobbing. 

"For causing you sorrow and tears," I replied. 

"And you are not sorry for your words?" she asked. 

"No," I replied leaping to my feet, "once more I must say it, 'Mary, I 
love you.' Now order my punishment, Princess." 

"Princess! I don't want to be Princess now," was the words I heard 
with astonishment. 

"Mary, you cannot mean?" I cried. 

She raised her beautiful head and her eyes sought mine and then did 
she whisper it or was it her soul that spoke to mine and said, "I love you, 
John." 

I folded her in my arms and rained kisses on her hair, her eyes, her 
cheeks, and then our lips clung in long estatic kisses during which our 
hearts and souls seemed to twine and mingle. 

We lost all track of time; what words we spoke belong to us alone. 
How long we remained there I do not know and how much longer we would 
liave stayed it is of course impossible to say, but about the only thing that 
could have brought me back to earth and indeed the only sound that would 
in all likelihood have penetrated to the treasure chamber came now in a 
faint continuous ringing of the alarm gong in the architects' meeting room. 

We had installed a huge copper gong to serve as an alarm if danger 
threatened at any time, such as the invasion of savage tribes, and since its 
trial some months before this the gong had not been sounded. In fact we 
had agreed that it would only be used as a warning of danger. 

"What is it?" asked Mary. 

"The alarm gong is sounding," I replied, "as it is only to be used in 
case of danger or invasion there must be something serious the matter. 
Come, dear, I must go; duty demands my attention to that alarm." I kissed 
her and said, "I will take you to Lady Eloane," and putting my arm about 
lier I led her out of that treasure room where I had found the greatest treas- 
ure of life. We came upon Lady Eloane with several of the Architects in 
the main passage. They were evidently much excited and it developed they 
were debating how to get word to me in the treasure chamber as they did 
liot know the sound of the alarm gong would penetrate there. 

Zanoke, one of the Brothers, cried out as soon as he saw me: "There 
Js a revolution. The priests of the Idols are leading many of the people in 
a revolution against the worship of Re and Pharoah Khufu. The loyal 
people are fleeing to the Pyramid and calling upon the Princess; the Priests 
of Re and us to protect theiu and the idol priests, and their followers are 
coming this way to attack us." 

"There must be some mistake," said Mary, now the Princess again in 
manner and bearing, "the people cannot be in revolution against the wise 
and good rule of the Pharoah. Why should any of them revolt How can 
any of them still have any regard for their stone and wooden idols and the 
priests of that dead savage form of worship?" 

"I regret to say that I fear it is in truth a revolution. The Priests of 
the Idols have never given up hope of restoring their power. It looks now 
as if they had seized upon this occasion when our armies are away to try 
to senarate the people, for secretly many of them have still continued to 
worship the Idols." 

—23- 



"Zanoke," I continued, "do you and such of the Brothers as you need 
to help you see that all the women and children get into the underground 
chambers and main passage," and wheeling about I ran to the main chamber 
where I found a crowd of thoroughly frightened people and many coming in 
the entrance. I directed several of the Brothers to take a number of men 
and go into the armory chamber and bring forth spears and battle axes. 

Then, like a flash, an inspiration came to me to use the ray welder to 
defend the entrance. 

IV. 

At the brow of a small plateau just on the outskirts of the city was 
the temporary home of the Priests of Re. Here also dwelt Vashoneta with 
her mother and father who was one of the priests. After finishing the dance 
Vashoneta very much fatigued, had rested for awhile and then went to her 
home. 

It was doubtless with the idea of vengeance and perhaps the effect upon 
their fanatical followers that must have caused the Idol priests to lead or 
direct an attack upon the home of the Priests of Re. 

They also in all probability knew that the Priests still remained with 
the people at the pyramid feasting and that Vashoneta had gone back home 
and only her mother and a few servants were there. At any rate their first 
act was to lay waste the home of the Priests of Re and murder all the 
people there. 

Leaving the scene of this crime the Idol Priests with thousands of 
their followers marched forth to capture the pyramid. 

On the way through the city they entered the homes of many of the Re 
worshippers and slew all those who had remained home or who had. returned 
early from the ceremonies. 

Some of our people instead of following the main body into the 
pyramid scattered about, running for various places of supposed safety and, 
as the revolutionists came on we saw them slay many of these. 

All those who came to the pyramid succeeded finally in entering, and 
the brothers and I waited for the attack. I had explained my idea of using 
the sun ray welder for our defense and we were for a few moments exultent 
over our belief that we could successfully defend the entrance until Cedric's 
return and then one of the brothers cried out words that caused us to 
realize what a horrible task was before us. 

"Must we kill our own people? Let me go out and reason with them 
and tell them how we have the power to kill them; but all we want is that 
they disband, return to their homes so that all of us can continue to live in 
peace." 

There were many words of approval of this course from a goodly num- 
ber of the brothers and some such attempt would have been made but for 
Henderni. As I said before, he was our oldest and wisest member; a man 
who did not often make speeches, but whenever he did every one of us 
listened, and so strong is a habit even one of this nature that as soon as he 
stepped up on a stone and began speaking every one ceased talking. 

"Brothers, if any of us went out there now we would simply waste our 
lives without any hope for a result, and reducing our numbers increase the 
danger to the women and children here. Any of us or all would sacrifice 
our lives gladly to save our peojjle here or out there who are swayed and 
controlled by leaders who have been plotting since their downfall for this 
revolution. I now feel confident that the savage Nehsi are with them and 
their appearance as though for an invasion was to draw our armies away 
from home to enable the revolutionists to capture the pyramid to secure 
the treasure stored here and the building as a stronghold, and also for 
them moral effect of its capture on their followers. 

"The action of our poor people out there show they are the victims of the 
Idol Priests' schemes to regain their lost powers, and that they are in a 
condition of religious frenzy and madness. 

"No, this is no time for peace moves; many of the poor people must die 

-24- 



and some perhaps all of us. For I have a strong presentment that this is the 
end of all of us here. At least I feel sure it is mine. But that is as il 
must often be to save the children of light from the forces of dark- 
ness many innocent and many victims must die. This is the hour of battle 
and the time to strike is now. Look!" 

The entire mob was now rushing toward us, the leaders only several 
hundred feet away and at their head raced one of the Idcl priests bearing 
a spear aloft upon which was a head. I gazed at that head stupified with 
liorror, for it was the head of Vashoneta, the beautiful virgin of Re. 
Then I saw red, my only desire was revenge. I who had never before 
in my life killed or wanted to kill any animal was now mad to kill my own 
poo])le. Gone was all my compassion and ]jity: gone all the finer civilization, 
and I was a savage; but I can plead in extenuation a just cause. 

I yelled some words. What they were I do not now recall, and grab- 
bing the muzzle of the sun ray welder with the ready assistance of the 
brothers, all of whom now rushed forward I turned that terrific heat full 
upon the approaching madmen, aiming at the priest bearing the head of 
Vashoneta. The result was an awful sight. The men in the front ranks 
shrivelled up and crumi)led to the ground. Those next to them fell gasp- 
ing, choking and grabbing at their eyes, for the heat waves had blinded 
many of them. Others next to those burned and scorched turned back 
and forced the others to halt and the whole mass of people serged back 
for several hundred feet until the priests succeeded in halting them. 

Out of that horror there is just one part of the picture that I can think 
of with any degree of comfort as one of the agents of its cause and that 
v/as the priest v/ho carried Vashoneta's head, and at whom I aimed tha 
full force of the heat waves. He was in advance of the others and when 
the heat waves struck him he shrivelled up into a grotesque black burnt 
skeleton. The head of Vashoneta had disappeared ; I could not see it any- 
Vv'here. Lovely virgin of Re. By heat created through his agency was your 
death avenged. 

Rallied by the cries of the priests some of the bolder ones started on 
another charge and the whole body was again moving forv/ard when I opened 
up another blast upon the leaders, and while the result was not so terrible 
on account of the distance, still it served to stop them and they were fast 
loosing their madness when the priests conceived the idea of destroying the 
yun ray welder, for upon looking at it they saw that the glass was covered. 
Now this was their opportunity to impress their followers, as the people 
had been ordered by Pharoah never to go near the sun glass as it was 
dangerous, they feared it so. Telling them that the priests could conquer 
fire thing of the evil gods, the whole body of priests scrambled on the 
lop of the ledges of the roof of the chamber on which was the sun glass. 
This also appeared to be a good safe place out of all danger as they knew 
the heat waves could not reach them on the top of the roof if they kept 
away from the edge nearest the pyramid. 

They next ordered some of the followers to cut through the conduits, 
but a blast from the welder ended the first attempt. They were preparing^ 
a second attack in large force when a diversion was created by cries and 
t'estulations from the uriests on the top of the sun glass. We looked in the 
direction where they were pointing, and gazing and saw a horde of savages, 
thousands of them running toward us. 

"Well, brothers," I said, "our noble Henderne was right. We are done 
for now. They can overpower us by sheer force of numbers. But ten men are 
needed here at a time. Now let us work in relays, the rest of you stand 
ready to take the place of those v/ho fall and if we lose the welder by* 
their cutting the conduit we will then defend the entrance with battle axes 
as long as we last, then the task will fall to the men in the main chamber." 

We saw that a man from the priests went out to meet the savages. 

I now debated with myself as to whether I should go to the Princess 
and bid her farewell and tell her the situation or whether I should not stifle 
my longing to see her and let her remain in ignorance of the new danger 

-25- 



as long as possible. Perhaps, later I would get a chance to say goodbye 
and then I saw that I would not have time to get to the underground 
chamber where 1 thought she was with the women and children and back 
again before the savages would be upon us, so 1 faced the enemy and 
awaited their approach to a point where we could do the most damage for 
I did not doubt that they would attack immediately, not having seen the 
effect of the sun ray welder. On they came yelling like mad. We let the 
leaders get within three hundred feet and then turning the blast upon 
them we mowed them down by hundreds. They halted and retreated out 
of range, and then they stood seemingly struck dumb with amazement. 

"Wise Chief," said one of the brothers, "there are some loose stones 
in the main chamber and some blocks out here we might build a wall to 
shield us." 

"An excellent plan," I replied, "do you get a lot of men in the chamber 
and build a circular wall about us here." 

A number of men directed by the brothers were soon hurriedly 
erecting the wall and I returned to my watching for moves on the part of 
our enemies. Looking at the sun glass I noted that in addition to the 
priests on the top of the roof ledge, a large number of people were clamber- 
ing up there doubtless moved by their curiosity to see what would happen 
next, temporarily forgetting their fear of the sun glass. 

Now, for the first time it dawned upon me that we had no way to open 
the exhaust hole of the volcano cave and that the accumulating heat waves 
must be exerting a terrific pressure on the cave and our conduits. 

Turning to the brothers now manning the welder with me, I said 
"Brothers, I think we will have to open the welder a little every few 
minutes because oi the pressure, as we cannot operate the exhaust. You see 
that our man there has gone and the station has been wrecked. Now there 
are some getting too near the conduit. Suppose we open a short blast on 
ihem as soon as the men finish placing the stones in front here." 

While we were waiting, I turned and looked into the pyramid and much 
to my surprise I saw Princess Mary standing in there looking out at us. She 
saw me then and both smiled and I started toward her to beg her to return 
to the underground chamber, when Henderne said, "All ready now; shall 
we clear the conduit?" 

I turned to help them before going to the Princess. I was just ready 
to use the welder when I heard a commotion behind me and then a shrill 
scream. I whirled about just in time to see that one of the men who had 
been carrying stones was rushing toward me with a spear and was almost 
ready to strike when a body came between us and then I saw that spear 
aimed at me had pierced the body of Princess Mary — my Mary. Then a 
terrible rage possessed me, with my bare hands I choked the life out of 
the villain. I tore his throat in my mad fit, and as I hurled his body over 
the wall we had built, I recognized him as one of the young priests of the 
Idols. Grabbing tlie sun-ray welder I pointed it toward his body and opened 
the full force on it. I heard a yelling and I could see that the savages and 
revolutionists were making a combined attack, urged on by the yelling 
and wildly gesticulating priests on the sun glass but I paid no heed, for 
gathering Mary in my arms I staggered toward the entrance with her and as 
I went I was begging her to speak to me so that I could know she still lived. 
1 reached the entrance and was about to pass in when I heard a terrifid 
noise. As I looked, the top of the volcano cave split open, the sun glass 
broke into pieces, the walls caved in, heat and flames shot forth, and into that 
yawning hell of heat was hurled the Idol priests. Beyond it all I saw the 
deep red glow of the setting sun. 

Something struck me in the side. I lay Mary down and sank down 
beside her. It was getting dark, things were slipping, slipping away from 
me and then Mary opened her eyes and smiled at me and I leaned over and 
heard her say, "I knew you would find me. I hid in the cave under the 
river, but the rocks fell. Then I remembered the opening at the top and 

-26- 



I waited for you to come down that way." Her eyes closed. She, too, 
knew the past I thought — then the light faded. 

V. 

We employed the best handwriting experts and did everything possible 
but the only thing we accomplished was to agree that the rest of the 
writing on the papyrus, after the foregoing, was done by another hand 
but we could not be sure of correctly reading a single word of it. 

Just below the breast bone in the female mummy is a deep wound 
and the male was evidently injured in the right side above the hip bone. 

Reincarnation, is it a theory, a fancy or a fact? I leave the reader to 
form his or her conclusions. 

As for me, as I look at those mummies I wonder if the spirits that 
once lived in these bodies have occupied other bodies in the many centuries 
since them I Are they living? Where are they now? 



-27- 



ACT III. 

Oration of tlie Herald or Voice. 

"Over five thousand eight hundred years have passed away since tlie 
period shown in the last act and though in the people of most countries 
there have been many changes it is a peculiar fact that scattered over the 
earth there are still many direct descendants of the Ancient Egyptians. In 
addition to the Parsees of India, fire worshippers of today, who are direct 
descendants and have kept some of the original ideas of their faith we have 
in various countries a nation of a total of about a million and a half of souls 
who are in part direct descendants of the early inhabitants of Ancient Egypt. 
They were wonderful workers in metals and had handed down to them from 
generation to generation many secrets of the occult science, astrology and 
kindred subjects. When they first came to Europe they were called and 
are still known in some parts of Europe as "Pharoah's people." We call 
them gypsies. 

To many of you this will be a surprise. The association of the general- 
ly despised gypsies with our play and story of the brotherhood of man is 
done for several reasons. 

First: Because they are descendants of some of the Ancient Egyp- 
tians. What were they at the building of the pyramid? What part did 
they then take in our play of life? 

Second: What strange places they have had in the subsequent world's 
history. Their peculiar part is well worth studying and entitles them to a 
place in this story of the brotherhood phase of the world's history. Their 
wanderings are probably the foundation of such myths as "The wandering 
Jew." The eighteenth and nineteenth century belief in witches may have 
been, probably was, brought about by superstitious fear of their occult prac- 
tices. 

Third: They are also brought into this story and play to remind us of 
our obligations to our white and red Indian brothers — "As ye have done it 
unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." It 
so happens that these people are a bitter example of the treatment civilized 
society has accorded to the Indians. 

The other reasons will appear in the sixth act. 

Gypsies, Indians; some of you are saying in your minds, why that can- 
not be. Yes, they are Indians — White Indians. 

Behold Act III — Our White Indian brothers. 

Time — 1899. 

(As a sort of prologue the author suggests showing the Parsees of India 
at their fire worship.) 

White Indians. 



On a boulevard sheltered by the shade of palms and pepper trees, chil- 
dren are playing the little games that seem so real to them just as you and 
I played, what seems sometimes but a little while ago, only a fevv^ yesterdays 
back to some of us. 

A boy aged seven, named Joe, son of Francis H. Harris, superintendent 
of the delivery department of the Starlin Packing Company, is paying an 
unusual lot of attention to a very pretty little girl, age five, named Nell. 
As the evening shadows fall, Nell's mother calls to her to come into the 
house. 

Joe gives her a little wagon of his that they have been playing with 
"for keeps," and in a burst of childish pleasure and gratitude, Nell throws 
her arms around Joe's neck as he sits on the lawn and kisses him and then 
she runs into her home. 

The other children playing with and about them see Nell kiss Joe and 

-28— 



tease him about it. This might just as well be a description of one of those 
Incidents in your life, Reader, so instead of quoting their words suppose we 
turn back to those old pictures of our child life in our minds. It will be 
a pleasant change from our daily grind if we can pause here and live over 
for a few moments one or two of our childhood experiences. "For one 
touch of nature makes the whole world kin." Then too, it will add zest to 
our reading to get on a level with the hero and heroine of our story and 
journey with them on their way which the hand of fate might have made 
your v/ay. 

Joe, like us boys did, or would have done, blushed furiously and fidget- 
ted about, then he manfully said, "Aw, well, that's all right; she's my sweet- 
heart now." But that first kiss was the only one for many years. 

Nell's father, Mr. Hugh Armstrong, was employed as cashier by the 
Starlin Packing Company, and he and Joe's father, Mr. Harris, were such 
good friends that when they married they had built their homes adjoining 
each other. 

While the pleasant childish incident which introduces Joe and Nell was 
being enacted by them a heavy cloud was settling over the life of Nell's 
father and before it had cleared away many years of time had elapsed and 
much sorrow and pain were the lot of those whose lives now seem so pleas- 
antly cast and whose paths are destined to suddenly be set in new fields and 
among people with whom they never dreamed of being associated. 

Perhaps it is the uncertainty of our journey on earth that adds spice 
to our lives. Who knows where your way lies tomorrow? No one save the 
All Wise Ruler who directs our footsteps. 

The day prior to the opening of our story Mr. Armstrong had missed 
going to the bank on account of what seemed at that time a press of busi- 
ness. Afterwards the real cause was shown to have been a premeditated part 
of a plan, but the explanation of that will come in proper time, so let us jog 
along with the course of events as they occurred and not be tempted to skip 
ahead to find the climaxes and lose much of the heart interest of our story. 

As it was settlement day, that is the day when the retail dealers paid 
their accounts, there was a large amount of cash in the safe when it was 
locked tliat night. 

When Mr. Armstrong opened the safe the next morning the cash was 
gone. 

The owners of the business, old Henry Starlin, and his son William 
and the cashier were the only persons who knew the combination of the 
safe. 

Suspicion naturally pointed to the cashier. He stoutly maintained 
his innocense. He had started as office boy and had then been with them 
for over sixteen years. Old Henry Starlin stated that he did not believe 
the robbery was committed by Armstrong and directed him to continue at 
his work. 

A detective was called in and set to work. Armstrong was unnerved 
by the ordeal and as he became ill from the strain, he asked to be excused 
early in the afternoon and went home. 

That evening Mr. Harris went to Armstrong and told him that he had 
overheard the detective tell young Mr. Starlin that he had learned that 
Armstrong had visited the office late the previous evening. 

Now Mr. Armstrong had gone to the office that night; it happened in 
this way: As the next day was his daughter's birthday he had purchased 
a little gift for her at lunch time and in the hurry of the afternoon's work 
he had forgotten it and left it in his desk. So after a lodge meeting that 
night he went to the office and got the present. This incident might, and 
probably would have been satisfactorily explained if it had been told when 
the robbery was discovered, but unfortunately it had entirely passed out 
of Armstrong's mind. 

Seeing the net of circumstantial evidence closing about him and feel- 
ing sure he would be arrested in the morning Armstrong took fright and 

—29- 



did a very foolish thing. That night he took his wife and little girl and 
ran away. 

II. 

Nearly a year later in a homestead in another state, under an assumed 
name, we see the Armstrongs living under conditions that were very try- 
ing for all of them. The father and daughter were making the best of it, 
but Mrs. Armstrong was very homesick and lonesome. 

She plaiined to run away and visit her people. At first she intended 
to take Nell with her but finally decided to leave her with her father. Seiz- 
ing the opportunity when Armstrong had gone to town for supplies she 
waited until it was about time for him to return and then she set out for 
another station leaving Nell asleep in her crib to which she pinned a let- 
ter for her husband. In her haste and mental condition her note unfortu- 
nately gave the impression that she meant to forsake Nell as well as her 
husband. 

"I woke up," said Nell telling the story of her great childhood sor- 
row years later, "late in the afternoon and getting out of my crib I ran 
about the house looking for mama. Not finding her I thought she had gone 
to the barn or chicken yard so I ran out there and then all around the house 
and in the garden. 

"Then I became frightened and began calling 'Mama! Mama! running 
all about in and out the house, then I cried for a long time. 

"Exhausted from crying I then thought I would go and meet Daddy 
as perhaps Mama had done. I went for a long way on the road to where 
there were cross roads and there I stopped, not knowing which way to go, 
and called 'Mama, Mama,' and then 'Daddy, Daddy,' and again gave way to 
tears. 

"After a time I started on one of the roads and walked along until 
I came to some wild blackberry bushes. I ate a lot of berries and then 
trudged on again. Darkness coming on added that terror to my trials and 
I called and cried until finally exhausted I sat down on the roadside and fell 
asleep. 

"I awoke when it was pitch dark and I heard a noise of something 
moving in the woods. I wanted to cry but somehow I feared to do so, so I 
lay very quiet, very much scared, and after awhile the sound moved from 
near me finally dying away in the distance." 

"Then I thought of my prayers and so I said them aloud, "Now I lay 
me down to sleep." Then "God bless Mama and Daddy." 

"Then I felt a presence; I was no longer alone. Someone was with me. 
I could see no one. I murmured good night Daddy and Mama and I fell into 
a sound sleep. 

"When I awoke the sun was shining. I gathered some flowers, found 
more blackberries which I ate and then walked a long way on the road. 
Passing over the brow of a hill I came to a party of Gypsies camped along- 
side a creek. 

III. 

Detective Charles F. Hardin was a very angry man. He had been sent 
to bring back an important capture — a man wanted for murder. 

Before the train reached the prisoner had asked to go wash 

up. As the prisoner was a small slight man and Detective Hardin was a 
physical giant, and in addition was armed with a revolver, the latter unhesi- 
tatingly unlocked one of the handcuffs. 

Just as the train stopped at the station a man stepped out of the toilet 
room and passed between Detective Hardin and his prisoner. Like a flash 
the prisoner leaped into the toilet room and closed and locked the door. 

Although only a few moments elapsed before Detective Hardin sum- 
moning the porter with his yell and grabbing his key, had the door open, 

-30— 



but the prisoner had succeeded in opening the window and making his 
escape. 

Detective Hardin had spent liours in fruitless search without finding a 
trace of his man and he was now lieaded for tlie station to take a train 
home. His prisoner had disappeared as though the ground had opened and 
swallowed him. 

He paused mid-way in the burst of profanity in which he was indulging 
and stared with open mouth at a man who just then was entering the gen- 
eral store. 

"That fellow's mug is either in the gallery or among those wanted," 
he said aloud. "Now let me see if I can recall his moniker." 

Going into the store he bouglit a cigar and ligliting it he watched the 
man who was purchasing groceries. 

He had smoked about half the cigar when he walked to the door and 
threw it away and reached into his back trousers pocket he first shifted his 
gun to his righthand coat pocket and his handcuffs to his lefthand coat 
pocket. 

With his right hand in his coat pocket grasping his gun he strode up 
to the man he had been watching and witli his left hand tapped him on the 
shoulder. 

"Mr. Hugh Armstrong, our train is due here in a few minutes. You 
and I are going to take a little ride," and quick as a flash he snapped the 
handcuffs on his wrists. 

"You go along quietly without any fuss and I will do what I can to 
make it easy for you" lied Detective Hardin. He was anxious to get away 
v/nthout the delay of requisition proceedings. "If you try to cause any delay 
it will go harder with you. They have got to prove you did it and the bet- 
ter disposition you show about going back the more it will help you at the 
trial. See!" 

Now as a matter of fact Mr. Armstrong knew nothing about his legal 
rights in the premises and therefore had no intention of taking action for de- 
lay. His heart was torn with sorrow for his wife and little girl. He thought 
first it would be best to send them a message and then his longing to see 
ihem and say good-bye to them overcame all his other feelings. 

"Take me back to my home so 1 can tell my wife and say good-bye to 
her and my kiddy and then I will go," said he. 

"Nix on that stuff," the detective replied. "You are going on this train. 
You can send a message. This next train is the last one out of this burg 
today and I am not going to stop here all night. So come along." 

At the station the detective wrote a short note that Armstrong dictated 
and then well pleased with the ease of his capture he gave the note and a 
five dollar bill to an onlooker v/ho promised to deliver the note. 

The train came in. Detective Charles F. Hardin rode away mentally 
patting himself on the back at his turn of luck, for he soliloquized "they 
would rather have this fellow than two murderers. They will forget all 
about the get-away in the joy of landing this one and yours truly gets that 
little thousand dollar reward." 

"Oh Lord, what will become of my poor wife and Nell" thought Hugh 
Armstrong who was liandcuffed to the detective. 

"I'll go get a drink" thought the man with the note to deliver as he 
walked away from the station. 

IV. 

There was forty-two in the party, eight married couples, four young 
men, five girls and six boys between the ages of fourteen and eighteen, two 
old women, one old man and eight small children between the ages of a 
few months and twelve years, that were camped on the edge of the road 

alongside a creek or small river about six miles from — on the 

second day of July in the year 1900. 

The men were variously engaged, a few were fishing in the creek, one 

—31- 



was fixing a wagon, two were mending harness, another was nailing a shoe 
on a horse. Three were playing musical instruments and the rest were 
loafing and smoking. 

Most of the women were engaged in preparing for the noon day meal. 
A young girl who had gone to the creek for water looked up the road and 
then cried out to the others, "Here comes a child that looks as if it had been 
lost in the woods." 

She ran to meet Nell and led her to the camp where all the Gypsies 
crowded about her. Nell would probably have been frightened and cried 
again but she was exhausted and the girl who first saw her kept hold of her 
hand and talked to her bidding her not to be afraid, they were her friends. 

Nell was a pathetic sight. Ker dress was in rags, torn by the briars 
and bushes. Her face and hands were scratched. There was one deep 
scratch across her cheek that had bled freely and the dried blood was 
caked there. Her hair was tousled with whisps of straw and pieces of 
sticks in it. Fingers and lips were stained with blackberries and in her 
right hand she clutched a bunch of faded wild flov/srs. 

The Gypsies bathed Nell's face a.id hands, doctored her scratches, then 
gave her a good dinner. After eating she fell asleep and awoke in about 
two hours much refreshed. 

A man and his wife and their daughter, the young girl who first saw 
Nell, then took her in a spring wagon and v/ent over the road in the direc- 
tion whence she came. 

Some of these white Indians, like their red brothers, are excellent 
woodsmen and trackers. This man was one of the best in his tribe and 
he experienced no difilculty in finding Nell's home. 

As soon as Nell saw it slie clapped her hands for joy, and when the 
wagon was stopped at the door and she was lilted down she ran into the 
house calling "Mama! Mama!" but there was no answering voice. Silence, 
grim, startling silence hung like a pall over the tragedy of that broken 
home with only the inaminate things left except little Nell who now sensing 
her loss began to sob softly as though ia harmony with the scene. 

The Gypsies entered the house and looked about. The woman found 
the note on the crib and read it aloud — 

Hugh: — 

I can't stand it any longer; this place is driving me crazy. You have 
no right to expect me to stand anything like this, and anyway I cannot do it 
any longer though I want to. 

1 need my friends, pleasure, dancing, my music, and I go wild without 
them. Why did you run away; you should have stayed and faced it out. 
I sometimes wonder if you were not guilty and planned to take the money 
and run away with that yellow haired stenographer of yours. 

I wish I had married Harry. 1 guess he would still be glad to have 
me. I was going to take Nell but I have decided to leave her with you 
now. 

I was going to write a lot more but I am afraid you will get back be- 
fore I get away. I think I hear your horses coming. Forgive me. 

Annie. 

With a stern look on her face the motherly old Gypsy woman read the 
letter again. Then she turned and gathering Nell in her arms she sat in a 
rocker and said to her husband, "1 will wait here, Liz can stay with me. 
You go and find her father." 

The evening shades were falling when he returned with the story of 
the father's arrest. He had also learned that the man to whom the detective 
gave the note and the five dollar bill had got drunk and lost the note, so 
paid no further attention to the matter. 

They made their supper and as Nell had cried herself to sleep they de- 
cided that the woman and her daughter would remain there that night with 
her and the man would return to camp and come back in the morning with 
a larger wagon. 

—32- 



When they left the place the next morning everything that was mov- 
able went with them. Some days later when a neighbor got hold of the 
story and went to see what was laying around loose he spread the report that 
the Gypsies who had been camped in the neighborhood had stolen everything 
about the place. 

It probably never occurred to him to find out what became of the 
mother and child or to ascertain if the goods taken had not been removed 
in the interest of the one to whom they now rightly belonged. 

But let us leave the town of — — — and the deserted homestead 

behind us and journey with the Gypsies and little Nell. 

As the bright summer days sped by Nell's sorrow faded from her mind 
leaving a sad memory that finally seldom returned except at bedtime when 
she said her evening prayer. 

Soon she became interested in the life of her new found friends. They 
were all very kind to her and each one every day from the oldest adult to 
th older children would spend some little time with her or at least stop and 
speak to her, and of course she played with the younger children, among 
them a boy and girl of about her own age. 

One of the first things they taught her was to set on a horse and she 
soon learned to love to ride that way. 

The music and dancing was also of much interest to her. She was too 
young then to later recall all the incidents of her first days with the Gypsies 
who were then on their way to California, but they were just the usual days 
of their mode of life, trading horses, telling fortunes, their campfire scenes, 
stories and the music and dancing. 



-^33- 



ACT IV. 

Oration of lieiald or Voice: — 

"Brothers! 

"Gypsies or Gipsies are a wandering folk scattered tlirough every Eu- 
ropean land, Western Asia, Siberia, Egypt, the northern coast of Africa, Aus- 
tralia and America. From estimates made in 1903 they numbered a total 
of about one million two hundred and seventy-five thousand souls. There 
is probably a million and a half now in the entire world. 

They are known by two names, Atzigan or Atsigan and Egyptian in 
many countries. In England they are called Gipsies. In France Bohemians. 
They are also known by the name of Tartars given to them in Germany. 

Perhaps the name that fits them really the best of the European ones is 
the Hungarian one, Pharao Nephka, or Pharoah's people. 

Many tales are told of their origin but the best are the following: The 
name Atzigan is derived from Athinganoi, is an idea of Miklosich, a name 
originally belonging to a peculiar sect living in Asia Minor. The members 
of this sect observed very strict rules of purity. They were afraid of being 
defiled by the touch of other people whom they considered unclean. They 
therefore acquired the name of Athinganoi (i. e. "Touch me nots"). 

Miklosich collected seven passages where the Byzantine historians of 
the ninth century described the Athinganoi as soothsayers, magicians and 
serpent-charmers. 

The inner history of the Byzantine empire of that period may explain 
how such a nickname was given to a new sect or race that suddenly appeared 
in the Greek empire. 

In the history of the Church we find them mentioned with Paulicians 
and other heritical sects that were transplanted in tens of thousands from 
Asia Minor to the Greek empire. 

Travelling from the East to the West these, called by the Churches 
heretical sects, obtained different names in different countries in accord- 
ance with local traditions and imaginary origins. 

The early Gypsies telling of their own origin when first appearing in 
the west of Europe said that they came from little Egypt, and from this 
they were, no doubt rightly, called Egyptians, or Pharoah's people. 

Their later name for themselves — Rom for the man and Romni for the 
women — was probably derived from the word Droma (Indian). 

The best probable explanation of their origin is that an Indian tribe 
or caste moved by political disturbances traveled through Persia. After a 
short stay there they went to Armenia, then to the Byzantine empire. An- 
other clan passed through Persia settling in Armenia, then going to Syria, 
and North Africa. 

Though mixed with many nationalities until the original high caste 
Indian is materially changed they are yet in truth Indians — White In- 
dians if you please. 

Liszt ascribed to the Gypsies the origin of Hungarian national music. 
Indeed they are far famed for their music in which they are unsurpassed. 

Equally famous for her knowledge of occult practices is the Gypsy 
woman. She is the real witch, knows charms to injure the enemy and lielp 
a friend, and can break the charm made by others. The old Gypsy woman 
is known for skill in palmistry and fortune-telling. It is probable that 
playing cards were introduced by them. 

As a race they are of small stature varying in color from dark tan of 
the Arab to the whitish hue of Pole and Servian. There are some white col- 
ored in Servia and Dalmatia. They are distinglishable by the whiteness 
of their teeth and the lustre of their eyes, and in this they resemble the 
red Indians before they were civilized as they do also in their love of dis- 
play, bright colored clothes, ornaments and bangles. 

One German claim is that they are of the seed of Canaan. They have 
also been called descendants of Ham. According to another account they 

—34- 



had to go to Rome to obtain pardon for the sin of their forefathers who had 
not shown mercj'^ to Joseph and Mary wlien they sought refuge in Egypt 
from the persecution of Herod. 

With very few exceptions their immunity from persecution has not 
lasted long and except for very short periods they have almost nowhere 
been treated with any consideration of humanity. 

A great many of them have stolen, cheated, lied, robbed, been immoral 
and committed other minor crimes. A considerable percentage of the people 
in the countries where they have wandered have also done tliese things. 

But that does not excuse them, though under other and better condi- 
tions and with different treatment their history, like that of the other In- 
dian people, would read differently. 

The crimes of the Gypsies pale into insignificance when compared with 
the atrocities that the people of civilized countries have committed against 
them. 

They have been enslaved in some countries and whole families sold 
like chattels and as such slaves they have been subjected to the most horri- 
ble cruelties. 

More than one judicial murder has been committed against them. On 
the 14th and 15th of November, 1726, there was a wholesale murder of a 
group of Gypsies. Five men were broken on the wheel, nine died on tlie 
gallows. Three men and eight women were beheaded. 

Edicts were issued in many countries sentencing the Egyptians to exile 
under penalty of death. 

In 1611 in Edinburgh four were hanged for the crime of being Egyp- 
tians. In 1636 at Haddington they were ordered — "the men to be hangied 
and the woemen to be drowned, and such of the woemen as has children 
to be scourgit throu the burg and burnt in the cheeks.' 

As late as 1782, forty-five Hungarian Gypsies were charged with can- 
nibalism and beheaded or hanged. The Emperor .Joseph II, who abolished 
serfdom throughout his empire, inquired into this matter and discovered 
that the only crime committed was by those who murdered the Gypsies. 

The history of their treatment in various countries, the penalties and 
inflictions imposed upon them would form a remarkable chapter in a history 
of modern civilization. They were treated as the negroes in America down 
to 18.56 when their freedom in Moldavia was proclaimed. 

As late as the year 19 07 a drive was undertaken against them in 
Germany. 

On January 6th, 1906, the first Gypsy Congress was held in Sofia for 
the purpose of claiming political rights for the Turkish Gypsies or Gopti as 
they called themselves. They sent a petition to the Sobranye demanding 
the recognition of their political rights. Truly a curious awakening and an 
interesting chapter in the history of this peculiar people. 

Behold, Act IV. 
Time — 1915. 



Joe Harris, whom we left in the first chapter as a boy, claiming Nell as 
his sweetheart, now grown to young manhood, was working at the Starlin 
Packing Company. 

A union of the employees was organized and Joe took an active interest 
because he thought it a good thing for the employees to get together. 

The union in itself might have amounted to nothing more than a 
friendly organization of the employees if the matter had been properly 
handled by the heads of the business, but Young Starlin rushed a proclama- 
tion posted stating that unless the union was abandoned its members would 
be discharged. 

This attitude and action precipitated a strike because the employees 

—35— 



considered it an unwarranted attack upon their personal liberties. 

As a demonstration of their unity more than anything else the strikers 
marched in a body to the office of the plant. Joe Harris marched proudly 
at the head with the leaders and v/ith them he was arrested on a charge 
of inciting a riot. 

Joe was cleared of the charge but both he and his father were dis*- 
charged. 

He decided to go to another city, and as it was time for crop gathering 
he worked his way. In short, he almost became what is called a hobo. 

There is a stretch of road between these two cities that hasn't much 
upon it but water tanks. 

On a very hot day in August a thin man, prematurely old and gray, 
his face deeply scared with lines of care and pain, and bearing to a close 
observer the unmistakable sign of a convict that he appeared unable to 
throw off, although it was now four years since he had stepped out of 
prison, a down-and-out hobo, reclined under a water tank in the shade and 
coolness. And thus we again meet Hugh Armstrong. 

Lodged in jail by Detective Hardin he had been tried after several 
v.'eeks delay. Without funds he was assigned counsel who took no interest 
in the case. The only defense offered was Armstrong's testimony. A nerv- 
ous wreck his appearance was against liim in the minds of the jury who paid 
little attention to his testimony because they thouglit he was lying. 

How different was the appearance of young Starlin who testified for the 
firm. The circumstantial evidence was all against Armstrong. The most 
damning part was the fact that he had been seen to return to the office 
that night and young Starlin testified that he did not tell them about the 
visit. Armstrong admitted this on cross-examination. The jury found him 
guilty without leaving their seats. He was sentenced to ten years hard 
labor. 

But now to return to the road. Around the turn of the road from the 
south a young "bo" came walking with a long easy swinging stride. 

The water tank offering refreshment and rest may have inspired him 
at any rate he broke forth into song: — 

"How many men tliere are, wlio ride in fortune's car 

And bolt and bar the door against the poor, 

Because they've lots of gold, tlieir hearts turn icy cold. 

They ought to be condemned for it I'm sure. 

Now speaking of the race, who tramp from place to place. 

There are some of them who are men from top to toe. 

So if you meet a tramp who bears misfortune's stamp, 
If he is worthy of your aid, why freely give — 
Give him a hearty grip, wish him luck upon his trip. 
And remember that the poor tramp has to live. 

I once heard a tramp relate the sad story of fate. 

How he was an outcast shunned by all; 

He had lived a happy life, had a loving child and wife. 

But alas! like Eve, this woman had to fall. 

For she proved weak and frail there is no need to tell the tale. 

How it turned his manly heart to sad despair. 

And he never since lias smiled on that handsome wife and child, 

But sadly now he tramps from place to place. 

So if you meet a tramp who bears misfortune's stamp. 
If he is worthy of your aid, why freely give — 
Give him a hearty grip, wish him luck upon his trip, 
And remember that the poor tramp has to live. 

-36- 



The song ceased, a few more steps brought him to the water tank and 
looking under it now for the first time he saw Armstrong. 

"Hello old timer!" said the young man cheerfully. 

"Hello young man!" replied the other. "That song you just sang I 
have not heard in about fifteen years. It used to be sung by a neighbor 
of mine. It is an old time song. Where did you learn it? 

"My father used to sing it. There was another verse but I have forgot- 
ten part of it," replied the young man. 

"May I ask your name?" said the older man. 

"My name is Joe Harris; what is yours?" 

The older man leaped to his feet and grasping the young man by the 
shoulder he asked, "Was your father's name Francis Harris?" 

"It was," replied Joe. "Who are you?" 

"I was his neighbor and friend once. I am Hugh Armstrong. When I 
saw you last you were a little boy. How is your father?" 

"Father was not well the last I heard from him. I think his heart 
was broke when he lost his job at Starlin's," replied Joe as the two shook 
hands. "How is your wife and little daughter. Nell was her name, wasn't 
it? By Jove, she must be a young lady now. As I remember it, we were 
sweethearts when we were kids. I would like to see her now." 

"I have not seen them since my arrest. I sent a message to my wife 
and afterwards I wrote her a number of letters which came back to me. 
When I got out of prison I went to our homestead where we had 
lived but no one knew what became of them. I then went to the home of 
my wife's people but her parents had died and none of the neighbors knew 
where she went. I have hunted and worked to get money to hunt more 
and in that way I have hoboed about for the past four years." 

"That is sure tough luck. You were a friend of my Dad's and on that 
account and because Nell and I were kids together I am going to help you 
look for them. Cheer up. We are going to find them before long." 

They camped there and talked far into the night. 

A strange touch of fate that made them hoboes and a peculiar meeting, 
but it was thus they met. 

VI. 

The police of the city had received complaints one morning from a half 
dozen citizens who lived in the suburbs that their henroosts had been robbed 
the previous night. 

One of the officers sent out to look for clews reported there were none 
but that he had learned that a large party of Gypsies were camped outside 
tlie city. 

The officers went to the Gypsy camp and arrested all the men Gypsies 
there except one old man. 

The women Gypsies crowded about and demanded to know why their 
men were arrested. They were told that they were arrested on suspicion 
of having stolen a lot of chickens. 

A tall, slender, beautifully formed girl with light brown hair looked 
on, and as the men were leaving she said to them, "It's a shame. Do not 
worry; we will see what we can do; you did not do it and they cannot make 
out that you did." 

"We will be all right, Nell." "Never mind, we will show them." 
"Don't worry," and such expressions were called out by the Gypsies and 
each one forced a smile and a gay wave of his hand to her. 

"Who did it, granny?" asked Nell as soon as the men were gone. With- 
out a word a very old woman turned and went into a caravan wagon. Nell 
sat down and waited. In about fifteen minutes the old woman came out and 
said one word, "tramps." 

Nell dressed and accompanied by the old man mounted on horseback 
set out to locate the tramps. Striking across the city to a little woods near 
the railroad they spied the tramps having a "Mulligan stew." 

-37— 



They rode back to the city and went to the police. "Come with me 
and I will show you who stole the chickens," said Nell. 

To the credit of this police department be it said that they very prompt- 
ly accompanied Nell and the old Gypsie. Led by her they succeeded in 
working their way close enough to the tramps to see enough chickens and 
feathers about to satisfy them that the tramps were the thieves. 

After a stiff battle the officers succeeded in arresting eight of the 
tramps; six or seven got away. 

The Gypsies were being arraigned in the Justice's Court when the offi- 
cers brought in the tramps. The officers testified and the Gypsies were re- 
leased. 

Two days later at the Gypsy camp the men were away trading and 
selling horses and some of the women were in the city telling fortunes. Nell 
was at the camp with a few old men and women and the children. 

Picking up a riding whip which she usually carried out in the woods 
to kill snakes with, as she was afraid of them, Nell started out for a little 
walk in the afternoon. She had gone only about a third of a mile when 
a burly tramp stepped out from Uehind a tree and said, "Well, I got you, 
me buxom peach." 

Nell stepped back and quick as a flash she cut the tramp across the 
face with her whip. 

Bellowing profanity and vile names the tramp, mad with rage and pain, 
rushed forward. 

Nell, thoroughly frightened but bravely defending herself, backed away 
cutting with her whip as quickly as she could and with all her strength, 
(he tramp's head and arms. Fortunately he stumbled and dropi)ed his arms 
and like a flash the whip cut him across the eyes blinding him. 

His yells of pain were answered by the cries of three other tramps 
who came running out of the woods. Nell turned and ran but one of the 
tramps cut her off so she attacked him with the whip and called loudly 
for help hoping to attract some of the Gypsies at the camp. 

The two other tramps getting behind her rushed in and seized her arms. 
She screamed; there was the sound of rushing feet, the thud of two blows 
and the tramps who held her reeled to the ground carrying her with them 
in their fall. 

Her rescuer stooped and picked her up and Nell looked into the eyes 
of Joe Harris and Joe looked so intently into Nell's eyes that it was fortu- 
nate for both that the tramps were content to slink off. And that is how 
these childhood sweethearts met after all these years. 

But they did not recognize each other. "Are you hurt?" asked Joe 
finally. 

"No," replied Nell, "thank you very much." 

"Where do you live," asked Joe. "I will see you home. There may 
be more of those bums around here." 

"This way," said Nell, glad of his escort, and she led the way towards 
the Gypsy camp. 

He fell into step beside her and said, "I was walking along that road 
over yonder and heard your screams. Glad I was around." 

"So am I," Nell replied. "Do you live in the city?" 

"No," he replied. 

"Where do you live?" asked Nell. 

"I have got to tell you the truth," he answered. "I do not live any- 
place. I am a hobo." 

Nell looked at him in surprised wonder. Then she stopped. "That is 
where I live," she said, and she ran toward the camp. 

"A Gypsy. Well what in the hell do you think of that?" said Joe 
aloud as he watched her. 

That evening Joe accompanied by Armstrong visited the camp. Joe 
was hoping for a chance to talk to Nell, but he only was able to say "Good 
evening" to her when the camp was attacked by a gang of tramps. 

The Gypsies are not a fighting people, but when they are forced to 

-38— 



fight they do it with hands, feet, teeth, clubs, knives or anj'thing at hand. 
The women and even the children took an active part in protecting them- 
selves against the raid of the tramps. Joe and Armstrong both took a hand 
with right good will, and though the tramps outnumbered the men on the 
other side and were armed with clubs and knives they received a severe 
beating. Several were knocked senseless, many were cut and bruised when 
the battle was over. 

Four of the Gypsies had knife wounds, none of them serious, and 
many were bruised and battered. 

After those able to run had fled the senseless tramps were roughly 
dragged into the woods and left there after the Gypsies had satisfied them- 
selves that they were alive. 

The Gypsies were much pleased with Joe and Armstrong. They gath- 
ered about them and thanked them for their assistance. Learning that they 
Avere hoboes they invited them to join their camp. 

Joe who was in love with Nell, although he hardly realized it yet, 
persuaded Armstrong to accept the offer for awhile anyway. 

VII. 

The next morning Armstrong left the camp early as he had a job help- 
ing to pack some goods in the city. 

After breakfast Joe waited for an opportunity to talk to Nell. 

After a while he observed that she had taken a seat on a log and was 
knitting or embroidering, he could not tell one from the other. 

It must be a natural gift or instinct with the dear girls though they 
v.'ill not admit it. Nell was later jokingly asked if she did not know that 
.)0e would seek her out to talk to her that morning and that she had delib- 
erately planned to receive him on that log so he could sit there with her, 
bhe would not answer. 

Joe, after watching for her and thinking of nothing else for three or 
four hours, must of course fill and light his pipe, and while smoking it ex- 
amine with much apparent interest an old crow bait of a horse the Gypsies 
liad just got in a trade that he had already looked over four or five times 
during his wait. 

Nell was very much absorbed in her knitting or embroidering when- 
ever Joe stole a glance at her, but it is a safe hundred to one bet that she 
did not miss a move he made and in addition had an excellent mental picture 
of his tall well knit muscular body, his tanned honest and almost hand- 
some face with its good nose, fine chin and clear blue eyes topped with dark 
brown hair. 

Joe finally plucked up courage, emptied his pipe and strode over to 
the log. 

"Good morning. I hope you have no bad effects from your brush with 
the tramps yesterday and our little racket last night. You sure know how 
to use a whip. That was some swell trimming you gave those bums yes- 
terday afternoon with that riding whi]). I did not have much time to look 
around last night during the mixup but I saw you lay a welt acros the face 
of one yegg with that cart whip that 1*11 bet he will pack for a long time." 

"Good morning to you," replied Nell. "I was frightened yesterday 
afternoon but I did not get hurt. Last night I twisted my ankle a little 
tripping over a stone, but I bathed it in cold water as soon as the tramps 
were beaten off so it was only a little sore this morning." 

"Oh, it was your ankle that sent you to the wagon and kept you there 
last evening. 1 looked for you. I wanted to introduce my friend." 

"Take a seat and tell me your name," said Nell. 

"Pardon my bad manners for not having done that before. My name 
is Joe Harris." 

"Mine is Nell Romanoff. My people are m.uch pleased with you and 
the man you brought with you, and we are glad to have you join our band." 

"Well, your people look good to me. T used to think that Gypsies were 

-39- 



all thieves and a tough lot but yours must be an extra fine bunch or I was 
mistaken. I am sorry I ever thought such things about them." 

"Oh that is alright; we are used to it. There have been lots of bad 
men among the Gypsies like other nations," said Nell. "But for some unac- 
countable reason the hands of nearly all the civilized people seem to be 
raised only to strike or threaten the Gypsies for centuries past. History, 
you know, records only two prominent men who ever made any effort to help 
the Gypsy nation and by a peculiar coincidence both their names was Joseph, 
your name." 

"I am rusty on history. I don't recall anything about it. Tell me," 
said Joe who was glad of any conversation that would prolong the pleasure 
he experienced in this girl's company. "She is a peach and got some brains 
too," he thought. 

"Their history is too long to tell. I have collected several books with 
chapters on them and have a manuscript that I have written based partly 
on what I could get out of library books, the books I have bought and the 
legends and stories my people tell of themselves. My idea was some day 
to try and have published an up-to-date truthful history of the nation in. the 
hope that it would result in the people of this country at least getting a bet- 
ter understanding of the Gypsy." 

"That would be something new. It ought to make a succes," said Joe. 

"I fear not," Nell said pensively. "The people of this country seemed 
to be wrapped up in those things that afford them personal pleasure and 
appear to have no time or inclination to study any poor people, especially 
Indians." 

"Indians! Do you mean that Gypsies are Indians?" asked Joe. 

"Yes indeed. They are descendants of high caste Indians who came 
from a country they called Little Egypt many centuries ago. They were 
Egyptian Indians and were called Egyptians and Pharoah's people in Eu- 
ropean countries. I think the name that fits them best now is White In- 
dians. But I must be going now." 

"Why, you have not told me about the Josephs who were the only men 
to help the Gypsies," said Joe, who had a quick mind and seized upon this 
to prolong the conversation." 

"Yes, I did start to tell you about them," and Nell settled back on the 
log and turned so she would face her listener. 

"The first was Emperor Joseph II of Hungary who dealt with them 
justly, especially in 17 82 when forty, five of them were murdered charged 
with cannibalism, and he made some efforts to help them but the best friend 
the Gypsies ever had was Archduke Joseph of Austria who laid out villages 
and settlements for them and tried to have them settle down and devote 
their energies to their skill in metal working which he discovered they pos- 
sessed. But his plans were too idealistic in that he expected them too 
soon to throw off the habits and wild life of centuries. But though he was 
disappointed in the result of his labors still he had some measure of vd- 
ward. 

"Just before the battle of Sadowa in 1866 the Archduke, who was 
sleeping in a peasant's cottage, was awakened in the middle of the night 
by a Gypsy. This man when brought to the bedside of the Archduke in 
rapid Romany declared the enemy was approaching in an intended surprise 
attack upon the Austrians." 

"The outposts have not heard anything suspicious," the Archduke re- 
marked. He had learned the Gypsy language. 

"No," replied the Gypsy, "because the enemy is still a long way off." 

"How do you know this?" the Archduke asked. 

"Come to the window," replied the Gypsy, and he led the Archduke 
to a narrow opening in the rough wall where he directed his gaze to the 
sky illuminated by the silver rays of the moon, "You see those birds flying 
over the woods toward the south?" 

"Yes, I see them. What of it?" demanded the Archduke. 

"What of it?" retorted the Gypsy. "Do not birds sleep as well as men? 

-40— 



They would not fly at night-time if they had not been disturbed. The en- 
emy is marching through tlie woods and lias frightened the birds." 

Orders were given for the camp to be awakened and in less than two 
hours the attack was met. Then Archduke Joseph was able to realize that 
his camp division, military prestige, and perliaps even his life was saved 
by the sagacity of a Gypsy, grateful for his friendship and kindness to his 
people. 

"That is very interesting," said Joe. "It is hard to realize that you 
are a Gypsy because you are different than even these good people in this 
camp." 

"I am only a Gypsy by adoption," replied Nell sadly. "My own par- 
ents forsook me. The Gypsies found me, or rather I found them, and they 
took me in and have treated me better than they do their own children." 

"Do you remember your own parents?" asked Joe. "What was their 
name?" 

"I do not remember much about them, but I think I could recognize 
their features. I always look at everybody carefully that I think might be 
them, especially where we used to live. Talking about Josephs, I remem- 
ber 1 had a little boy playmate once named Joe." 

Joe jumped to his feet and excitedly demanded "Your family name was 
It Armstrong? 

"Why yes," replied Nell wonderingly. "How in the world did you 
know it?" 

"I am that playmate Joe you just mentioned and the old gentleman 
who was with me last night is your father, but say, it wasn't his fault that 
lie left you; he has been hunting you for over four years — ever since he — 
he; well I guess he had better tell you about it. Say, I know where he is 
working today and I am off to tell him the good news," and Joe bounded 
away and as far as Nell could see him he was running at top speed. 

About an hour later Joe and Armstrong arrived at the camp, and be- 
cause of the humiliation of that poor father, in the confession he had to 
make to explain why he did not return to his baby daughter at the home- 
stead, because the Gypsies, to spare her feelings, had never told Nell about 
her father's arrest, let us draw a veil over the scene. 

VIII. 

Call it intuition, or any other name that you may choose to apply to 
such things or just plain guess work, but Nell had no sooner heard her 
father's story than she announced her conviction that the robbery had been 
committed by young Starlin and she at once began to plan how to have the 
crime brought home to him and clear her father's name. 

She persuaded the Gypsies, who would do almost anything for her, to 
about face and, although it was hot and the season when they traveled north, 
to return to the city which they had left in the early spring. 

The days during the journey were long hours of joy for Armstrong, 
Nell and Joe. Their long talks during each day's journey were followed 
in the evening by the peculiar stories of the Gypsies, their excellent violin 
music and their songs and dances. 

Where can you find anything more picturesque than such a camp-fire 
scene on a beautiful moonlight night? 

Did you ever see a fine old grove of live oaks beside a running brook? 
A camp-fire with its ever changing colors, around this sitting, lounging, 
standing a half hundred Gypsies with their gorgeous costumes. In the back- 
ground, in the shadows of the trees and camp-fire the horses and wagons 
are outlined and the whole picture brought out in every detail by the silvery 
sheen of a glorious moonlight?" 

In due time they arrived and pitched their camp in the mountains 
overlooking the city. 

Nell and her father spent a half day in visiting their former home in 
which joy and sorrow were mingled and to which was added an unexpected 

—41- 



sorrow and sympathy for Joe who accompanied them in high spirits at the 
prospect of seeing his father, was met with tlie news of his death two days 
before. His mother had died several years prior and his only other relative 
was a married sister. 

The funeral was held the next day and none of those who attended it, 
except Joe, recognized in the thin gray haired man, their former neighbor 
and fellow citizen and later the convict, Hugh Armstrong. Neither could 
they have believed the beautiful sun-kissed young lady dressed in simple 
black who accompanied him was Gypsy Nell. 

"I wonder who they are?" they asked each other. But no one knew 
the answer. "Some old friends of the dead; the man must' have been be- 
cause he was very much affected," they said, and then it passed out of their 
minds. 

Several days later the two Starlin's, father and son, stepped out of their 
private office after completing some business matters v/hich had detained 
them until after the usual closing hour. The clerks had all gone home. 
In the reception room they were accosted by two Gypsy women. 

One was old, a veritable witcli in appearance. The other was young 
and would have been comely even with the arrangement of her hair but her 
features were marred by a very unartistic job of painting. The eyebrows 
were too heavy, and the eyelashes were brought out too much by the black 
lines on the lids. The skin was darkened and the cheeks and lips were 
rouged and her body appeared to be deformed. 

"Cross our palms with silver and we will tell your fortunes" whined 
the old woman. 

"Naw, get out," testily said Mr. Starlin, Sr. 

"For the love of Mike," said his son, "where did that pair of comic 
opera witches drop from?" 

"Yah, we are Romany witches," said Nell, for it was her speaking in a 
weird sing song tone of voice. "We can give you a charm against your 
enemies. See, I will tell you some of your fortune without money. You 
partners have agreed with others to make prices to sell and you are worried 
because you think one partner will not stick. Have I not told you truth?" 

Now this was a guess based upon Joe's idea of what he believed was 
going on and Armstrong's knowledge of the Starling's business methods. 
It was not literally correct but so close to the facts of a deal that they 
had just been discussing that father and son were both startled. 

"Remember my telling you about a Gypsy woman who told my fortune 
when I was a young clerk and said I would be the head of the business?" 
the elder Starlin asked his son. 

"Yes I do ,now you mention it," replied his son. "It don't seem possi- 
ble yet there must be something in their stuff. Do you want your fortune 
told, Father?" he continued now laughing, his spirits returned. "No." 
"Well, if you will wait for me, I'll listen to the young one aAvhile. Come 
in here." 

They all went into the private office and sat down. Young Starlin put 
a silver dollar in Nell's hand. She examined his palm and then told him a 
fairly accurate brief history of his life. 

He laughed and said, "That is not so bad, but you could easily get 
that information if you had confederates digging up those things. I don't 
believe you could tell me anything that only I know." 

The old woman now craftily began wailing "Don't tell him my daugh- 
ter; don't tell him; don't tell him," she almost screached the last and then 
she began moaning. 

"There is nothing either of you can tell that everybody does not know. 
You have your dollar, so get out," said young Starlin, and while he said it 
laughingly still his face was strained with fear for it came to him that 
perhaps these women did know and now he was anxious to get rid of them 
before it was too late. 

Both women got up and walked toward the door. There they stopped 
and turned around. 

-42- 



"We do know," said Nell in that peculiar weird voice. "Just sixteen 
years ago tonight you," here she pointed her fingers at young Starlin, 
"came here after midnight and took over thirty-five thousand dollars out of 
the safe in the main office. No one ever knew that you took it. Another 
man paid for the crime but you were the thief." 

It is a lie, you whelps of hell," he yelled, and then he pulled himself 
together and said sneeringly to the women. "Some kind oi a blackmailing 
game, eh! Well, if you try it in any way you will all land in jail and I'll 
see you get the limit. Now get out of here and stay out." 

The women passed quickly out of the door and slammed it behind 
them. The old one kept on. Nell stooped to the keyhole and listened for 
a minute. A voice spoke a few words in the room. Nell rose and with a 
smile on her face she followed the old woman out of the outer door. 

"She told the truth" were the words Nell heard the elder Starlin say. 

The next day Nell and the old Gypsy woman with Joe went to the 
Judge who sentenced Armstrong. In his chambers where he received them 
there was with him, by peculiar coincidence, Detective Charles P. Hardin 
M^ho arrested Armstrong. 

Nell told their story. The Judge ridiculed it and advised them not to 
tell it again if they wanted to keep out of jail. 

IX. 

In the month of March of this year a small band of Gypsies had 
camped on the outskirts of a middle western city. The women were reap- 
ing a small harvest by going to offices and stores telling fortunes. 

They always travel in pairs when using this method and two of them 
reached an office after four o'clock of a dark gray day. Opening the door 
and walking in one of them stumbled over the handle of a mop which was 
lying there and fell heavily to the floor. Striking her head on the edge 
of a desk she was knocked unconscious and sustained a slight scalp wound. 

"Oh, you poor dear," cried a woman who came running forward hold- 
ing a dust cloth in her hand. This was the only person on the premises ex- 
cept the Gypsies. The occupants of the office had gone home at four, their 
regular quitting hour, and the woman was the regular janitress of this 
small business building. 

The janitress stooped and raised the fallen Gypsy's head and seeing 
the blood she told the other Gypsy to hold her companion's head while she 
got some water. 

They staunched the flow of blood and with strips torn from the jan- 
itress' petticoat bandaged the injured woman's head and after consid- 
erable effort restored her to consciousness. 

"I will telephone for an ambulance and you can go to a hospital and get 
your head dressed," said the janitress. 

"No, No!" cried the Gypsies in unison. "We have no license to go 
around to offices and tell fortunes and the police would put us in jail." 

"Oh I see," said the janitress. "Well rest here until you feel better 
and then you can get to your home. Where do you live?" 

"We are camped in Gray's Park woods" said the uninjured Gypsy. 

"Why that is four miles from here and there is no car or jitney line 
out there in the winter," said the janitress. "How will you get out there?" 

"We will walk," was the answer. "Our men thought there was a 
jitney." 

But the injured woman did not recover sufficiently to enable her to 
stand on her feet much less walk. In fact she grew worse. After about 
two hours the janitress insisted on getting a conveyance to take her home. 
She telephoned for a taxi and as the poor Gypsy was now almost senseless 
^.iiain the janitress went with them to their camp and then returned and fin- 
ished her work. She went home very late in a heavy rain that v/as falling 
then. 

Three weeks later she was convalescing from pneumonia at the city 

—43- 



hospital when the two Gypsy women were ushered in to see her. 

"We are glad to see that you are better and so sorry that you were 
sick," said the spokesman. "This is the woman," she added addressing her 
companion, who was the Gypsy that had been injured by the fall. 

"I want to thank you for your kindness," said she to the ex-janitress. 

"Take chairs and lay off your things," said the ex-janitress. "I am so 
glad you called. I was feeling very blue just now. I see you recovered from 
your fall," she added turning to the Gypsy who had been injured. 

"Yes, I got all right the next day." 

They chatted on for awhile when the ex-janitress was seized with a 
bad fit of coughing. The Gypsies aided her and looked at each other with 
expressions of pity in their eyes. 

When she recovered the ex-janitress said, "The doctor told me today 
that my lungs were affected and I must go to a warmer climate — Arizona 
or California. I would like to go back to California for I lived out there 
once. I cannot go; I have no money. But it does not matter as I have 
nothing to live for. 

"We are going to California," said the Gypsy who had been hurt, "and 
you shall go with us." 

The ex-janitress demurred but the Gypsies persisted and would not 
take "no" for an answer, so that is hov/ it came about that Annie Armstrong 
returned to California in a Gypsy caravan. 

Four days after the events recorded in the preceding chapter this band 
arrived at the mountain camp and joined the large caravan there. 

Armstrong was not there when they came in. He noted the new ar- 
rivals when he returned and went to them to greet them. 

Annie Armstrong was seated when he came up and she rose to her 
feet and cried out "Hugh!" 

"Yes, it is me, Annie," he said coldly, for his heart was hardened 
against her since he heard how she had deserted her home and Nell. 

"Aren't you glad to see me?" she asked. 

"No, I am not," he answered, and turning walked away. 

"I deserve it all, I know," cried Mrs. Armstrong running after him and 
catching hold of his arm, "but for heaven's sake I beg of you tell me about 
our baby Nell." 

Armstrong shook off her hand and stood meditating what to say for a 
moment for his feelings were in a turmoil. He turned to answer his wife's 
question when a cherry voice said: 

"Hello Daddy. Joe and I went to — and just got back." 

"Nell," cried Mrs. Armstrong. 

Nell turned and looked at her then said, "Mother," and the two women 
rushed into each other's arms. 

After several minutes Nell turned to speak to her father but he was 
gone. 

The reconciliation between father and mother was brought about by 
Nell. No one but themselves ever knew anything of the details except the 
fact that Armstrong finally forgave his wife. 

Her poor little story of her life after she left the homestead was soon 
told. 

She walked to the station, took a train and reached her parents home 
without incident. She wrote a letter to her husband the evening of her 
arrival and one every day for several weeks. Then her first letter was re- 
turned and every day or two she received a returned letter until all of them 
came back to her. "Left here, address unknown" was the endorsement on 
the returned letters. 

Her parents were poor and her mother was sick with the disease that 
ended her life a few months later. 

Her father's health was poor and the two barely managed to earn their 
expenses so she had no opportunity or funds to make an effort to locate her 
husband and child. She knew nothing about his arrest and thought he had 

-44- 



gone to some other place with Nell and she lived in the hope that he would 
forgive her and write or come see her. 

When her father died about four years later she had given up all hope 
and she moved to a smaller cheaper home in another part of the city to be 
near to her work as she had secured the job of janitress in the office build- 
ing. 

The reconciled couple were enjoying a sort of second honeymoon and 
were holding hands while seated on the side of the road near the camp early 
one moonlight night when Joe and Nell came to them hand in hand. 

Joe had told Nell that world old story and now they came so he might 
ask her parents' consent. 

Subsequent events proved that the consent was given and not only 
that result but a plan of spending their lives together in a concerted effort 
for the development of the Gypsies was the outcome of their long confer- 
once that evening. 

Nell was secretly disappointed, however, because her father did not 
enter into her plans with his usual whole hearted manner of taking hold of 
things in which he was interested. "What can be wrong with father?" 
v'SLS the thought that marred her otherwise perfect happiness. 



How much truth and how much fake there is in the occult practices 
of the Gypsy women is a question for others to decide. Each of the readers 
may form his or her own deductions and conclusions, or dismiss the entire 
matter as mind reading, coincidence or "bunk." Set down here is a plain 
unvarnished account of what took place without comment or explanation. 

"Three of the older women including the old granny, Henrietta, who 
was with Nell at Starlin's, took her aside one evening and told her that her 
father was brooding over his wrongs and was meditating killing young 
Starlin for revenge. "He must not do this," they said. "You and your 
mother must watch him and keep him with you. Stay with him all the time 
for the next few days. He shall have revenge. We have earnestly sought 
knowledge of your future lives. The stars tell us that before ten days 
pass justice shall be done to your father. You will also be married and will 
receive a wonderful wedding present." 

"But I have no intention of being married for some time yet. Not until 
next year anyway," said Nell. 

"Wait and see, daughter," said Henrietta, who was called granny and 
the old witch. 

Nell told her mother and father and Joe about the prophecy, but of 
course said nothing to her father about the warning about him. 

"There is one part of that prophecy that is surely coming true," said 
Joe, "and that is our marriage." 

"That is the part that will not," said Nell blushing. 

"Please," begged Joe, "because maybe that will help the rest of it to 
come true." 

Nell refused but the subject was renewed at every opportunity by Joe 
and finally she wavered and at last consented to be married on the following 
Monday at noon. 

They got the license, made arrangements for the pastor of the church 
they both attended as children to perform the ceremony. They decided to 
hold the wedding in the Gypsy camp out of respect to their Gyusy friends 
and because of the romance and fitness of doing so. The entire camp was 
all excited over the approaching event, and with the preparations for the 
noon feast,, the trousseau, and buying of presents everyone was having a 
most delightful time. Mr. Armstrong quit brooding and entered heartily 
into every phase of the matter in which he could take part. 

But what of the rest of the prophecy? 

-45— 



THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED ON SATURDAY NIGHT: 

Subsequent investigation to ascertain the facts showed the cause of the 
detective's action was a deal in which he was involved tliat necessitated he 
and his associates getting a large amount of cash in a hurry to save them 
from a government investigation which would have resulted very disas- 
trously for them. But the others made restitution and it would do no one 
any good to expose the facts and it is not material to our story. 

Detective Charles Hardin, who will be remembered was at the Judge's 
office when Nell and her father tried to get legal action against William Star- 
lin, must have been convinced of the truth of their charges and determined 
to use his knowledge to blackmail Starlin. 

He called at William Starlin's home about nine o'clock on that Satur- 
day night somewhat under the influence of liquor and charging Starlin with 
the crime claimed that he had enough evidence to convict him and demanded 
ten thousand dollars for his silence. 

Starlin took a pistol out of his desk and pointing it at the detective 
ordered him to leave. In his excitement, or it may have been an intentional 
act, he pulled the trigger and the bullet went close to the detective, who 
pulled his gun. When the duel was over the detective was dead and Starlin 
was mortally wounded. 

The foregoing are the bare facts of the tragedy based on what little 
William Starlin told of it and the most probable deduction drawn from his 
statement. 

The newspapers did not learn of the tragedy in time for its publication 
on Sunday. In the Gypsy camp Sunday passed quietly with contentment, 
the anticipated delights of the morrow and joy in their hearts. 

XI. 

Nell's wedding day dawned bright and clear without even any of the 
fog that very often shuts out the sun in the early morning on the coast and 
in the mountains near the sea in California. 

The minister came out in an automobile owned by a friend of his and 
on the way about a half mile from the camp the car broke down. The owner 
thought he could fix it without much trouble himself so the minister went 
on to the camp afoot. 

The wedding ceremony, which was a very simple one, was held under 
a large live oak tree. Everybody stood up. The bride was given away by 
her father; the bridesmaids were Gypsy girls. The bride's mother acted as 
matron of honor. The bridegroom was attended by a young Gypsy. 

Joe and Nell had planned to be married in Gypsy costumes but Nell's 
mother said she would have preferred her daughter to be married in white 
with orange blossoms as she was, and to please her mother Nell decided to 
make the change especially as the Gypsies urged her to do so, waiving their 
preferences in deference to Mrs. Armstrong's. Joe therefore wore a black 
business suit. 

The bride in the conventional white and orange blossoms and the 
bridegroom, the bride's father, and the minister in black and the bride's 
mother gowned in gray all framed in the bright colors of the Gypsy gala 
attire and in the setting of one of nature's beauty spots formed a picture 
that would make the artist famous who could transfer it to canvas. 

After the ceremony and felicitations they set down to a feast, speeches, 
songs and most excellent music. 

The owner of the automobile that brought the minister found he could 
not fix his car, so a Gypsy volunteered to drive him and the minister back 
to the city. The owner of the car could get a repair car there to come 
up the mountain and either get his in commission or tow it to the city. 

After the minister had left Old Granny proposed that each of them 
should write out a wish. Joe and Nell and Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong each to 
have three wishes, and when they had finished writing them they should be 

—46- 



collected and turned over to her and two other old women whom she called 
by name Marsha and Maria. The three would read them aloud and predict 
which would come true. The wishes of the bride and her mother were to 
be read first, the Gypsies next, and those of the groom and bride's father to 
be reserved to the last. 

With much laughter and chafing but also with a spirit of a certain 
solemnity they gathered about the three old women who seated themselves 
together and wrote out their wishes. 

The bride's three wishes were read first — they were: 

1. That justice be done and restitution be made to my father. 

2. That we ail stay togetlier and work together to develop the Gypsy 
nation. 

3. That the United States set aside a reservation for the White Indians 
of America. 

Then they read the wishes of the bride's mother: — 

1. I wish my daughter will be as happy all her life as I was for the 
first six years of my married life. 

2. I wish that my husband might have his good name restored. 

3. I wish that my daughter and son will always be content to remain 
with their parents or near to us. 

The two women consulted together for several minutes then Marsha 
announced their predictions as follows: 

Nell's Wishes. 

1. Justice is now at work. 

2. We will stay together. 

3. Not for many years, maybe some day. 

Annie Armstrong's Wishes. 

1. She will be very happy. 

2. Tliis wish will be granted. 

3. You will not be separated very long at any time until 
the final earth parting comes. 

Next the Gypsies' wishes were read by Maria and a jolly hour was spent. 
Although differently worded many of the wishes were that the Americans 
would all stay with them. The others were all in the nature of jokes at the 
expense of the newly weds. Each of them as read brought blushes to the 
bride, confusion to the groom, and gales of laughter to the Gypsies. 

'The Gypsies' wishes did not call for readings and none were in fact 
expected. 

Finally the groom's wishes were read: — 

1. I wish that I could do something that would be worth while in this 
world. 

2. I wish that I could fit up a fine home or caravan for Nell. 

3. I wish every joy and happiness for all my wife's adopted people. 
After a brief conference the old women through Marsha gave their 

verdict on these as follows: 

1. The stars foretell that this wish will come true. You are destined 
to take part in a great work with Nell. Your people will read all about it 
in a book that will tell the account of what you two do to help our nation. 
In less than ten years the newspapers will speak of this book and the things 
you have done. 

2. Will come to pass very quickly. 

3. Thank you. 

Was it fate or some mysterious knowledge or an intuition of what was 

—47- 



coming to pass? Slowly the old granny read the three wishes of Hugh 
Armstrong: — 

1. I wish for the life-long happiness of Nell and Joe. 

2. This is the last day of your former prophecy. For my children's 
sake I wish more than ever now that Will Starlin's crime will be brought 
home to him. Will it come today? 

3. I wish that I could give my daughter a wedding present of a fine 
big automobile fitted up like a private Pullman car and get one for her 
mother too. We would start the first automobile Gypsy caravan. 

Every one sat in silence with their eyes on Henrietta, Maria and Marsha 
watching their every move, anxious to hear. The old women sat and seemed 
themselves to be waiting. The tense silence was broken by the sound of a 
horse's galloping hoofs, first faint then increasing. They came nearer. The 
old granny, the oldest woman Gypsy in America, now arose to her feet and 
in a shrill voice cried out, "The answer to your wishes is coming there." 

Everyone now looked toward the direction of the approaching sound. 
Around the turn in the road and into view came the Gypsy who had taken 
the minister to the city. His horse in a lather of perspiration was com- 
ing running now at top speed and the Gypsy was waving a newspaper over 
his head. He pulled up the horse stopping close to Hugh Armstrong to 
whom he handed the newspaper speaking two words, yelling them in his 
excitement, "Read that!" 

Across the top of the front page in heavy faced type was the headlines: 

DUEL TO DEATH BETWEEN WILLIAM STAKLIN AND DETECTIVE 

HARDAN. 

DETECTIVE INSTANTLY KILLED — STARLIN, MORTALLY WOUNDED, 

DIES LATER. 

STARLIN MAKES REMARKABLE DEATH-BED CONFESSION THAT HE 
COMMITTED THE ROBBERY FOR WHICH HUGH ARM- 
STRONG SERVED TEN YEARS. 

NOBLE ACT OF HENRY STARLIN. 

Though HeartbiM)ken He Promptly Makes Over to Hugh Amistrong One 
Hundred Thousand Dollars — Will Seek to Have His Former Cashier's 
Citizenship Restored — Police and Newspapei-s of Whole Country Asked 
to Help Find Unfortunate Victim That Some Measure of Justice 3Iay 
Be Given Him. 

WHERE IS HUGH ARMSTRONG? 



-48- 



ACT V. 

<^)ration of Herald or Voice: — 

Liberty is a force, a power for the uplift of the earth's people. Artists 
have pictured that spirit as feminine as is best exemplihed in Bartholdi's 
statue of the Goddess of Liberty in New York harbor. 

This conception seems correct in the sense that through noble woman- 
hood the world's people are advanced in their evolution and also that it is 
through their heartstrings that many men have kept in touch with the big 
things of life. 

The spirit of liberty must have been sent out from the great center of 
radiating forces. You cannot see the spirit with your physical eye-sight, 
neither can you see electricity, yet think what wonders it performs. 

The approaching rays of liberty coming to earth touched the people for 
some time but its arrival found its first written expression in material form 
through the agency of Thomas Paine, the trail blazer of human liberty. 

On the 9th of January, 1776, Paine published a pamphlet entitled 
"Common Sense," an array of powerful arguments for separation and the 
establishment of a republic. He said that independence was the only con- 
sistent line to pursue and that it must come to that some time or other. 
Written in simple convincing language, it was read everywhere and the 
open movement to independence dates from its publication. It worked a 
powerful change in the minds of many men. Heads of the New York Prov- 
incial Congress considered the advisability of answering it and came to the 
conclusion that it was unanswerable. 

Thomas Paine also did excellent work for liberty in England and 
France later on. 

As an aid to getting men to make a decision liberty chose words of 
Patrick Henry. 

The words were spoken in 177 5 in the second revolutionary Conven- 
tion of Virginia, but they became generally quoted in the Colonies later. 

Regarding war as inevitable Patrick Henry presented resolutions for 
arming the Virginia militia. The more conservative members opposed them 
as premature whereupon Henry supported them in a speech, closing with the 
v/ords: — "Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price 
of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course 
others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death." 

On the 4th of July, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was formal- 
ly adopted by the first Continental Congress. This event was announced 
to the citizens by the ringing of the Liberty Bell. Its message rang out 
clarion tones that went on and on throughout the years ever increasing in 
volume and area, "Proclaim liberty throughout the land unto all the inhab- 
itants thereof." 

Liberty chose as chieftain and first President of the people of the first 
nation to adopt liberty as its princlijle a powerful man. A strong leader 
was needed and found to direct the affairs of the first government by the 
people — (Jeorge Washington — "first in war, first in peace and first in the 
hearts of his countrymen." Every American knows, or should know his 
part of our history, but do you know that he said: 

"My first wish is to see the whole world in peace and the inhabitants 
of it one band of brothers showing who should contribute more to the hap- 
pines of mankind." 

The first great document stating liberty as the governing principle for 
a nation was the Declaration of Independence. It would be a good thing if 
it and another great Declaration to which I shall refer in a few moments 
were read in every American home at least once every year. 

"When in the course of human events" — 
are the well-known words beginning that document and they might well 
be used as a prelude to the next two great events in America's history. 

The forces of evil and darkness gathered against liberty's people and 

-49- 



threatened to rend the nation. Liberty chose as a Redeemer, Abraham Lin- 
coln. If it is iiossible to sum up the cause, struggle, objects and ultimate 
outcome of the achievements for the people led by President Lincoln in a 
few words it can best be done in those he spoke at the dedication of Get- 
tysburg battlefield. 

"Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this con- 
tinent a new nation conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition 
that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war 
testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can 
long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come 
to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting-place for those who here 
gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and prop- 
er that we should do this. But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we 
cannot concentrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living 
and dead, who struggled here hav^3 consecrated it far above our poor power 
to add or detract. The world will little note nor long remember what we 
say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us, the living, 
rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work wliich they who fought 
here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here ded- 
icated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honoured 
dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last 
full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall 
not have died in vain, that this nation under God shall have a new birth 
of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people and for the 
people shall not perish from the earth." 

Peace reigned throughout the land for more than half a century, ex- 
cept a few minor struggles, and it blossomed like a rose. America slept in 
fancied security and tranciuility with a serene confidence in the justice of 
her principles. The men of battle dwindled, relatively speaking, to a small 
national police force. 

The forces of darkness having failed to rend America and other coun- 
tries that Liberty had won to its standard from within now concentrated 
upon those countries unfortunate enough to retain an autocratic form of 
government with absolute Monarchs in control. 

To the ruler of the greatest of these countries the forces of darkness 
came and pictured him as the great war lord of all the earth. They took 
him up on the high mountain of Vanity and showed him the world. "See, 
here are other countries with your system of government; they can easily 
be persuaded to join you and then you will be in control of them and their 
rulers will be your vassals. With their people added to yours you can make 
war upon all the world and conquer it and make all the world's people your 
slaves. All this is yours if you will make us your gods." 

But they lied — as they always have done. The hand of God has 
caused the generals in command of their dupes to blunder, the plans they 
hatched were thwarted by forces that rose up unexpectedly and stopped the 
mad rush of the war-crazed victims of what — . Strip the kaiser of the 
powers of the Autocratic rule his people have allowed hira to retain and 
have submitted to and what do we see? — A weak old man, nerve wracked 
and nerve wrecked, one arm shriveled up, a brain disordered, nothing but 
a poor, weak, crippled, defective, really pitiable human being who should 
be under patient, sympathetic restraint instead of running amuck with the 
powers of life and death over, and absolute control of millions of human 
beings far better than himself — his mind the prey of the devils urging him 
on to the most horrible crimes against humanity — that is the real kaiser. 

But the forces of darkness are making their last fight and every device 
that their devilish ingenuity can devise is brought to hear against the peo- 
ple. 

For three years the struggle goes on and the United States, Liberty's 
pioneer land, tries to keep out of the fight and bring about peace. Patiently 
they endure much but at last the time for action comes and their leader, 

-50- 



and standard bearer becomes its champion for world liberty — Woodrow 
Wilson. 

In his great war message to joint congress, which will go down in his- 
tory as one of the greatest, if not the greatest message ever given by man 
to mankind, he proclaims liberty tor all the nations of the earth and asso- 
ciates with it the greatest achievement that will ultimately come to the 
world's people — the brotherhood oi man. 

The concluding words of his world history making and moulding ad- 
dress are: 

"It is a distressing and oppresive duty, gentlemen of the Congress, 
which I have performed in thus addressing you. There are, it may be, many 
months of fiery trial and sacrifice ahead of us. It is a fearful thing to lead 
this great, peaceful people into war — into the most terrible and disastrous 
of all wars, civilization itself seeming to be in the balance. 

But the right is more precious than peace, and we shall fight for the 
things which we have always carried nearest our hearts — for democracy 
— for the right of those who submit to authority to have a voice in their 
own governments, for the rights and liberties of small nations, for a uni- 
versal dominion of right by such a concert of free people as shall bring peace 
and safety to all nations and make the world itself at last free. 

"To such a task we can dedicate our lives and our fortunes, everything 
that we are and everything that we have, with the pride of those who know 
that the day has come when America is privileged to spend her blood and 
her might for the principles that gave her birth and happiness and the 
peace which she has treasured. God help her, she can do no other." 

Look at the nations now in the league of honor. Ten years ago no 
person in the world would have believed it possible that in 1917 China and 
Russia would be republics and who would have dreamed that those 
nations would be allied with America, France and England for world free- 
dom. Forward, Brothers, and bring the nations we are now forced to war 
against to liberty's standard and the brotherhood of men and nations. 



Behold, Act V. 

Time — AprU 2, 1917. 



Sjnopsis. 

ACT V. 



BROTHERHOOD 
(The story is now being written.) 

John is a civil engineer with a scientific and inventive turn of mind. 
Full name and that of Mary cannot be given now for certain reasons. Con- 
vinced when the Germans sank the Lusitania that it was only a question 
of time before the United States would be forced into the war John set to 
work on an idea of an apparatus for a concentration of sun heat rays and 
their projection to be used as a war engine to destroy the enemy and his 
forts, depots and guns. 

John, by a peculiar coincidence completed his invention in the early 
morning of that memorable day, April 2, 1917. It developed later that 
months of time and labor were necesary to perfect it to operate on a large 
scale. 

Elated by his apparent success and an unexpected message to meet 
Mary at the seashore John invites the Scribe and his wife to accompany 
him in an auto ride to the beach. Promised an introduction to Mary they 
gladly accepted. 

At the beach while waiting for John to bring Mary from the hotel 
where he is to meet her, we find Joe Harris and his wife Nell, nee Armstrong, 
the Gypsy Nell of White Indians. 

John comes with Mary and after the Scribe and his wife are introduced 
we introduce them to Nell and Joe and we all spend a jolly hour in the sea 
and on the sand. 

—51 — 



After the bath we all dress and meet again on the beach. Newsboys are 
crying "President's war message." John buys a paper and reads to us ex- 
tracts from the great message to Congress. 

John immediately goes to the telegraph office and sends a night letter 
to the Government tendering his invention and services. 

Upon his return to us, Joe offers to go with him to the front and John 
agrees to take him with him as asistant if he can do so. 

Mary and Nell decide to volunteer as nurses on the expedition if they 
are accepted by the Government. 

We take an early dinner together and the Scribe happens to mention 
the Egyptian mummies and the papyrus found in the hand of the male; all 
the party are very much interested and the ladies express so strong a desire 
to see the mummies that the Scribe calls up his friend Winton and tells him 
and they are invited to come out to his home that evening and see them. 

We get a large touring car and go to Winton's home and view the 
mummies and papyrus. John reads aloud the translation. 

BROTHEKHOOl). 

If the writing of this record of events of the present and near future 
had been postponed until their completion it would be possible to give the 
full names and history of the two chief characters and entirely unnecessary 
because everyone would know them. As it is, for military reasons, the full 
correct name of one of them cannot be given. In fact, it is deemed advisable 
to designate both of their first names only. The shrewd reader may guess 
the names but will, under the circumstances, keep them to himself or herself. 
As soon as the history can be made public there will be no need of conceal- 
ment for everyone will know. And so we will call them here and know 
them now as John and Mary. 

John was a civil engineer with an inventive turn of mind. When the 
Germans sunk the Lusitania he became convinced that it was only a ques- 
tion of time when the United States would be forced into the world war, 
and so he set to work to perfect an idea that had occurred to him of an ap- 
paratus to send out a concentration of sun-rays. 

By a peculiar coincidence John completed his invention in the early 
morning of that memorable day, April 2, 1917. 

He was naturally elated with what he believed was his success, but 
although the model worked perfectly it developed that considerable addi- 
tional time and some changes were necessary to operate the principle on a 
large scale. 

John had only been in California for a little over a year and the writer 
and his wife have the pleasure of being numbered among his few friends 
here owing to being remembered in some letters of introduction from a 
mutual friend in New York City when John came out here. 

It developed later that this day was one long to be remembered for 
another reason which was the cause of his making a trip to a beach city — 
somewhere in California — on that day. 

His decision to invite us to accompany him to the beach resulted in 
my good fortune in being able to write this story of the things that trans- 
pired in advance of the historical record of them. 

I had .lust finished reading my morning mail when John came hurriedlv 
into mv office with his cheery "Good Morning, Jack!" It happens that my 
name is also John, but mv friends all call me Jack, in fact my narents 
called me Jack and it has stuck since. On the other hand John is ? ^a^ 
whom no one would call Jack. I asked him once if anyone called him 
Jack, he said "the only one I remember was an acquaintance who used 
to call me Jack when he was soused." 

"Hello John," I replied, jumping up and shaking hands. Glad to see 
vou. Set down and rest your face and hands and have a smoke" 

"No, I cannot stav; come on down to the beach with me," he replied, at 
the same time taking' the cigar and getting ready to light it. "Telephone 

-52- 



your wife that I will introduce her to my future wife if she will come along." 

"Here is the phone, you tell her that and she will leave everything to 
come, and be dressed by the time we can get there in that old boat of 
yours." 

It took us about twenty-five minutes to get out to my home and while 
It does nof sound possible to you married men it is a fact that she opened 
the door and came, out all dolled up ready to go as we drove up. But then 
you know a woman's curiosity will help her to accomplish marvels besides 
she is genuinely fond of John and interested in his romantic live affair, 
a part of which our New York mutual friend had written to us. 

After greetings were exchanged John said "You flatter us Mrs. Law- 
rence by your promptness." 

I started to speak but my wife said, "I broke a two o'clock engagement 
with my dentist and he did not seem to like it," and she playfully put her 
linger over my lips to silence what she knew I was going to be mean enough 
to say but I had to get it out of my system. 

"Flatter you nothing. You have aroused her curiosity so much she 
would run down to the beach if necessary." 

"Isn't he the mean old thing" she said. 

"Never mind, he will have to pay the dentist because he will charge 
you just the same," said John. 

The car was a three passenger roaster so we could chat in comfort 
and on the way John told us how he first met the girl he had determined 
to marry some day. 

(The story will be completed along the lines of the synopsis after it 
has been revised by expert story and play builders.) 



-53— 



ACT VI. 

Time — Yestei-day, today or tomorrow. 

(The first synopsis of this play was written in November, 1916. and 
copyrighted in December, 1916. In it my ideas of a sun heat ray device 
that was used as a war engine at the building of the great pyram'id in Egypt 
are briefly stated. It has very likely been considered ridiculous by many 
who have read it then or in detail in the subsequent revisions of the play. 
In a remarkable full page copyrighted newspaper article that appeared in 
the Los Angeles Examiner on Aug. 5th, 1917, of an interview with Mr. 
Gugleilimo Marconi, inventor of wireless telegraphy, he says that a sun or 
lieat ray device for ending the war and all wars is the most immediate and 
effective possibility in the realms of science.) — Author. 

Synopsis. 

Somewhere in France. John's invention and services having been ac- 
cepted he was commisioned an officer of a special expedition. 

Joe was accepted as an asistant to John and six of the Gypsies from, 
their camp were taken on as helpers. With American and French experts 
in various lines the entire crew or company numbered a hundred and four 
men, all being duly enlisted. Mary and Nell succeeded with John's plea 
and the aid of Mary's father in securing permission to accompany the expe- 
dition as nurses. 

(It was the author's intention to give here a complete description of his 
idea of the sun ray concentrator and projector, but on account of tlie possi- 
bility that the idea may approximate the actual invention he may be par- 
doned for using the perliaps justifiable excuse — "cannot be given at this time 
for military reasons.") 

Before the trial of John's invention. At the rear of the lines one of 
the Gypsies who accompanied Joe to the front plays the violin. The music 
is excellent and the Gypsy plays until tired but the soldiers clamor for more. 
The Gypsy suggests that Nell dance for them. 

Nell does a wonderful dance of her own composition. 

In the midst of the dance Mary and Joe notice that John is saying over 
and over again "Vashoneta, "Vashoneta." His meaning dawns on them 
and they all stare at Nell as though in a trance. 

The battle. John's invention having been placed in position for its 
initial operation against a key position of the Germans the French Comman- 
der in Chief notifies John by an aide that he is now ready for the trial. 

At the trial John sets his invention and opens up the first blast. 
Everybody is watching the apparatus expecting to see flashes of fire or hear 
terrific noises, but there is not a flash nor a sound. 

They watch John who now reaches for a telescope, they thinking the 
thing must not be working or is a failure, when they are startled by John's 
cry and action. He drops the telescope and he first extends his hands to- 
ward heaven, then covers his eyes with them. His face is deathly white and 
he is shaking like a leaf. Then with an awful cry they all look towards 
tlie enemy's lines. The key fort is in flames and all amout it; everything 
that will burn is afire. The rest is one mass of blackened ruins. The avia- 
tors return to report, most of tliem unable to fly again that day. When 
The French, English and American soldiers are at last ordered forward not 
a single shot comes from the enemy, and when they reach the fort they find 
a scene too horrible to describe. 

Everybody knows that it is only a question of hours or days at the 
most when the war will end. 

The German people the next day demand peace from the Kaiser. W'hen 
he rebelled revolution broke out and the news coming from the front that 
day caused them to formally surrender to the United States. In the mean- 
time the work of devastation had gone on — but why tell any more of it. The 
whole world knew that this invention meant the end of the world war and 
of all wars. 

—54- 



ACT VII. 

Time — 1917, 1918, 1919. 

Synopsis. 
Orator or Voice: — 

"A world peace conference of all the nations is held and universal peace 
agreed upon. A congress of nations is organized." 

Picture: — 

Showing a gathering of a representative of every country on the globe. 
Orator or V^oice: — 

"The world rejoices. Pleasure and music reign in a great world-wide 
fiesta. The scene shown here is just one small part intended to show what 
will occur in the entire world." 

Picture: — 

Parade, street scene, banquet hall, etc. 
Oi-ator or Voice: — 

'For its noble part in tlie great world war Belgium will be made the 
site of the Peace Temple to be erected as a permanent meeting place for the 
Congress of Nations. With reference to the Congress of Nations I want to 
say that there is already a movement on foot in the United States to pass a 
law that will make the retiring President the delegate of the Nation to the 
Congress of Nations. It seetiis that this plan could in some measure be 
adopted by nearly all the Nations and it is difficult to imagine how any bet- 
ter selection of delegates could be secured and at the same time it would 
be paying a further high honor to the men who have filled the highest offices 
in the lands. 

At the laying of the cornerstone of the Peace Temple each Nation in the 
World will be represented by the head of its government or his representa- 
tive if his personal presence is impossible. This ceremony will be one of 
the most impressive services ever witnessed anywhere on earth. We present 
in our picture our best conception of the event. 1 call your especial atten- 
tion to the beautiful massing of the flags of all the Nations of the World." 

Picture: — 

The laying of the cornerstone. The heads of each nation join hands 
forming a circle, emblematic of the union of nations that encircle the globe. 
'J his is followed by the flags of all the Nations being massed as the conclud- 
ing act of the ceremony. 
Orator or Voice: — 

"As a crown of glory concluding the fitting acknowledgment and honor 
to the great world events, a picturization of which we have witnessed here, 
the conclusion of this act and our sun i)lay on the wonderful brotherhood 
and liberty achievements of our world history, it is my good fortune and 
proud honor to presnnt to you our picture conception of the Statue of World 
Liberty and Brotherhood that the United States will present to France." 
(Picture shown here.) 

"Ladies and Gentlemen: The Statue of World Liberty and Brother- 
hood. 

"I shall leave to eloquent orators of the United States and France the 
choosing of the proper words in which to correctly express the spirit that 
will animate the giving and receiving of the Statue. 

The French people exercising their characteristic, most excellent artis- 
tic taste and consideration of the proper fitness of location will probably 
select as the site for the Statue the battlefield where they held the hordes 
of the enemy. It may be that facing the direction from whence the enemy 
came they will already have erected a monument to their soldier heroes 
adorned by a majestic figure of the hero of the Marne and the idol of their 
hearts — Marshall Joffre. 

"If so, what better spot in all the world could be chosen for the Statue 

—55- 



of World Liberty and Brotherhood than one on that battlefield facing the 
monument to France's heroes where they said: "They shall not pass," and 
holding back a people driven temporarily mad, gave to humanity its chance 
for World Freedom? 

"You will please note, in our conception, the base of the Statue consists 
of the figures, men and women, that is used to express each Nation, as for 
instance the female figure for France and our own Uncle Sammy for the 
United States. The name of each country is on a baldric across the breast 
of the figure that represents that nation. You see they have all clasped 
hands forming a circle, which idea used at tlie laying of the cornerstone 
of the Peace Temple, symbolizes the union of nations and men in a broth- 
erhood that encircles the globe. 

"One shoulder of each figure supports its share of the platform upon 
which are a male and female figure. 

"The artists who selected the models for these figures all decided upon 
John as their first choice on account of his service to the World. His selec- 
tion was considered especially fitting when it was learned that his father 
was French, his mother English and he was born in America. And Mary 
was most enthusiastically selected as the model for the female figure on 
account of her beauty of face and form as well as the fact that her father 
was English, her mother American and she was born in France. 

"You see the male figure has a shield upon his left arm on which are the 
words, "They shall not pass." The right hand is extended to heaven — ex- 
pressive of our calling it to witness the Justice of the Cause for which hu- 
manity fought and thanking God for the Victory. 

"The left hand of the female figure is resting on the shoulder of the male 
symbolizing the reliance of noble womanhood upon manhood. The right 
hand is holding aloft the blazing torch of World Liberty. 

"The statue as a whole is emblematic of the great truth that in the 
hearts of all Earth's people there has been erected the supporting pillars 
of the wonderful Temple of the Brotherhood of Man." 

(The end.) 

(Note — In the spoken play living figures could be used for the statue 
and John and Mary could speak the orations. I had this idea in my orig- 
inal manuscript but discarded it just before going to press because I learned 
it was being used with the Statue of Liberty in a vaudeville act. — The 
Author.) 

The publication rights as a story in magazine, newspaper and book 
forms, subject to completion and the necessary corrections and revisions, 
and the playwrights for the play or moving picture play are for sale, royalty 
basis for the book and playwrights preferred, but any offer will be consid- 
ered and prompt reply given. 

Address all communications to 



J. D. LAWRENCE, 
S. W. Cor. 6th and Montana Sts., 
Santa Monica, California. 



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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



015 939 743 9 Jf 



